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Ephesians 1:15-20
Praying to Know God Better

Ephesians 1:15-17 (NASB)

“For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”

• Not a prayer for new information about God. • A prayer for Spirit-given help to know God better.

TITLE: Praying to Know God Better (Ephesians 1:15-20)

“I have often said that the sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.”- Blaise Pascal

  1. Pray to Know the Hope of His Calling.

• Ephesians 1:18, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling…”

• Biblical hope is not “wishful thinking.” • Biblical hope is absolute certainty.

  1. Pray to Know the Riches of His Inheritance.

• Ephesians 1:18, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints…”

• In Christ, we have an eternal inheritance. • In Christ, we are God’s inheritance.

  1. Pray to Know the Greatness of His Power.

• Ephesians 1:18-20, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places…”

CONCLUSION: “If God’s ‘call’ looks back to the beginning, and God’s ‘inheritance’ looks on to the end, then surely God’s ‘power’ spans the interim period in between.” - John Stott