Powerful Prayers

Powerful Prayers

I pray . . . that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.

Ephesians 1:18

IN WORD The church is to be a body that always points to its Head. In our exploration of worship, we realize that we are in a life-changing process between self-centeredness and God-centeredness. The transformation is radical; it changes everything we think and everything we do.

Paul knew that when he prayed this prayer for the Ephesian church and others who would read it. The apostle’s heart for Asia Minor is expressed in these verses: that God would reveal Himself to them more clearly, that the “eyes” of their hearts would be opened to glorious visions, and that they would understand the vast inheritance they’ve been given and the sheer power of the God and the gospel they have come to believe. Paul’s prayer is really a request for their transformation to God-centeredness—seeing life and salvation from a heavenly perspective, understanding His purposes in creation and redemption, and becoming a willing, grateful part of that dramatic display of mercy.

We marvel at the depth and the beauty of Paul’s prayers. Sometimes we wish he had prayed those things for us, and we speculate that perhaps he looked down through future generations and applied his prayers to all who would follow in faith. We want that kind of growth that he desired for the Ephesians. We crave full hearts and enlightened eyes.

IN DEED There’s a very practical way to have these prayers applied to ourselves: We can pray them for each other. We might have tried praying them specifically for ourselves, and God has surely accepted those prayers. But there’s a better way: Think of ten Christians in your family and circle of friends for whom you can pray this prayer. Pray it daily. Ask God to pour out His Spirit of wisdom and revelation on them. Plead for their eyes to be enlightened even more than they already are. Ask for His power to explode into the lives of your fellow believers. And watch the body of Christ realize the promise of verse 23: “the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

The greatest thing anyone can do for God and for man is to pray.

—S. D. GORDON