ALL THINGS NEW - POWER OF PRAYER - EPH 1:15-23 - PASTOR JONNY - JUNE 27TH

As people who are called in Christ to unite heaven on earth, Paul launches into a prayer which is no ordinary shopping list prayer but a template for transformation in our lives and world! Paul starts out “for this reason” all the identity language “in Christ”, shown in previous verses is to be our platform as we approach our heavenly Father in prayer. From what bases do you pray? We so often struggle in our faith from external forces but what most drives this is we forget who we are. We are sons and daughters… never forget who you are in Christ when you pray. Paul continues I never cease to pray for you even thou the reports sound good. A heart of transformative prayer is to be one that never ceases to pray through the good and bad. But what is interesting is what Paul prays for, “ Spirit of wisdom, knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened.” Not I pray that your difficult circumstances be taken away but you experience Him, deeply knowing Him through your circumstances. What if you shifted your prayer to this, God I want to know you more through this difficulty? Paul wants you to have a deep knowing in 3 areas, Hope, Inheritance & Power. As Christians we are take on a posture of hope, that my present circumstances do not define me. In Jesus, resurrection shows us that there is life in death. Therefore I pray for my hope to be in Christ alone. Inheritance - not my inheritance or gain but God’s inheritance. As treasured possessions chosen by Him, we are to be vehicles of His blessing to the world. Finally power! Paul wants to awaken you to a source of power you have in Jesus, which he quickly defines. Same Spirit that conquered the grave lives in you! Taking the dead broken things of the world and bringing it to life, while also having power over the spiritual darkness of this world. This sounds like being a present agent of transformation in this age! Your words are powerful! How can you today pray for yourself and others this way?