Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
Introduction:
Scripture talks a lot about prayer.
Colossians 4:2 NLT
2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
Philippians 4:6 NLT
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Matthew 26:41 NLT
41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
Romans 12:12 NLT
12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
Psalm 145:18 NLT
18 The Lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth.
Matthew 7:7-12 NLT
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Paul records some of his prayers in scripture.
One of these prayers is found in Ephesians 1:15-23
Paul prays that the readers of this letter to the Ephesians would know God personally and intimately.
This could be a great prayer to pray for yourself, your children, your own family, coworkers, other believers, or anyone else you relate to.
Ephesians 1:15-23 NLT
Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
Some addition prayers Paul recorded in the Scriptures.
Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT
14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Colossians 1:9-14 NLT
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 NLT
11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Examine the scriptures:
Ephesians 1:15-23 NLT
Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom
Verses 15-23 are one sentence in the Greek.
15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,
Paul’s description of the Ephesians:
Faith in the Lord Jesus – a right vertical relationship.
A love for God’s people everywhere – a right horizontal relationship.
Paul’s prayer:
16 I have not stopped thanking God for you.
Paul begins this prayer giving thanks to God for the Ephesian church.
- Paul thanks God for the people in his life.
Similar statements in some of Paul’s other prayers:
Romans 1:8 LT
8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,
1 Corinthians 1:4 NLT
4 I always thank my God for you.
Philippians 1:3 NLT
3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.
1 Thessalonians 1:2 NLT
2 We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.
This is only a sampling of the times Paul has given thanks for other people.
Application: Begin your prayer by thanking God for your spouse, your children, and other believers in your life.
Thank God for your spouse.
God designed marriage.
Genesis 2:18 NLT
8 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
Thank God for your children.
Children are a gift from God.
Psalm 127:3 NLT
3 Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
Thank God for the people in your life.
1 Timothy 2:1 NLT
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
I pray for you constantly,
. Also:
Colossians 1:9
So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you.
2 Thessalonians 1:11
So we keep on praying for you,
- Paul prays constantly
Scripture tells us to pray continually.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT
17 Never stop praying.
17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Paul’s request.
to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
- Paul prays for spiritual wisdom and insight for others.
Colossians 1:9
We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Philippians 1:9
I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.
And
Colossians 1:10 NLT
…you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
To know God personally, not just to know about Him intellectually.
We can know God.
John 14:7 NLT
7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
1 John 2:3 NLT
3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.
Pray, then act.
To know God we must know His Word.
- Paul prayed that the Ephesians would know God personally and intimately. Paul wanted them to have the spiritual understanding to grasp the full significance of all that God had done for them.
We could be (should be) praying this prayer for others.
18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—
Paul prays for a spiritually enlightened mind.
Able to understand the confident hope he has given to those he called.
The assurance of eternal life.
- Paul prayed that the Ephesians would understand the hope he gives to those he has called.
his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
Understand that we are a part of God’s family. We belong to God.
Romans 8:17 NLT
17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.
Ephesians 3:18
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him.
Able to understand God’s great power.
God’s power for us who believe him
The power of God’s Spirit at work in and through His people.
This is not our power, rather it is the power at work in us.
- Paul prayed that the Ephesians would understand the incredible greatness of the power of God’s Spirit at work in and through His people.
This mighty power:
This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.
22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
23 And the church is his (Christ’s) body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
This mighty power:
Power over death.
Jesus’ power and authority transcend all rival powers, in this world and in the world to come.
The church is made full and complete by Christ.
Pray to experience God’s power in your life.
Pray that your spouse, your children, and the other believers in your life would experience God power in their lives.
2 Thessalonians 1:11
… May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.
Ephesians 3:16
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
Finally, pray that you and the people in your life would live lives that honor and please the Lord.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
… asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. …12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live,
Colossians 1:10
Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.
