"Intercessory Prayer That Changes People & Circumstances" (Pt. II)~Eph. 1:15-21

(Hope ,Inheritance , & POWER)

READ PASSAGE…

• This is an intercessory Prayer to awaken & enlighten the Heart… that the TRUTHS Paul has shared since the opening of the Letter would, be gripping, moving, compelling, TRANSFORMING…NOT just intellectual
• Perhaps some have lost their PASSION, Their 1st LOVE for Jesus, they know Intellectually but have lost that Spark; That FIRE!..then this prayer is tailor-MADE Just for YOU!!:-)

Eph. 1:15-21 15 Therefore(For This Reason) I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: (Asking)17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,/ the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation/ in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your [c]understanding being enlightened;/

….NEXT PART … So this is what he prays & WHY THEY NEEDED ENLIGHTENMENT

PAUL’S PRAYER Is THAT THE EPHESUS CHURCH WOULD COME TO KNOW/EXPERIENCE THREE SPECIFIC TRUTHS:

• that you may 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 exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality[d] and [e]power and [f]might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 

TRANSLATION…. Kenneth S  Wuest  - An Expanded Translation of The New Testament }

On account of this I also having heard of the Faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you & of your Love to all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you as I constantly make mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of GLORY, might give you A SPIRIT of WISDOM & REVELATION in the SPHERE OF A FULL KNOWLEDGE OF HIM  the EYES of YOUR HEART BEING IN AN ENLIGHTENED STATE

WITH A VIEW TO YOUR KNOWING WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING,

what is the Wealth of the GLORY of HIS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS,

& what is the SUPERABOUNDING GREATNESS OF HIS INHERENT POWER TO US

who are Believing Ones as measured by the OPERATIVE ENERGY of the Manifested strength of His might, which might WAS OPERATIVE in the Christ when he raised Him from among the dead & seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, over & above every government & authority & power & lordship & every government & authority & power & lord ship& every name that is constantly being named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And ALL THINGS He PUT IN SUBJECTION under His Feet, & Him He gave as head over ALL THINGS to the church, which is of such nature as to be His body, the fullness of the One who is CONSTANTLY FILLING ALL THINGS WITH ALL THINGS! {Kenneth S  Wuest  - An Expanded Translation of The New Testament }

HOPE….

In Ephesians The HOPE Paul speaks of is Not How great or awesome or even what ‘kind’ of Hope this is (the Calling of God),,,but rather WHAT OUR HOPE REALLY IS…The ‘His Calling’ is the call of which GOD IS THE AUTHOR…and that is an EFFECTUAL CALL…The HOPE is Not the object Hoped for …But an attitude of Mind/heart …the subjective Hope the ASSURED Christian EXPECTATION (Expositors)

Proverbs 13:12 Hope(expectation) deferred maketh the heart sick(Lweak, diseased, tired, grieved) but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

(Drawn away, scattered, prolonged, drawn out, postponed)

ROMANS 8: 18-25 Defines this ‘HOPE’ Very well for us …this is THAT HOPE That PAUL wanted to Awaken & Make come alive in their Hearts!18 For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us! 19 For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration and futility, not willingly [because of some intentional fault on its part], but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will also be freed from its bondage to decay [and gain entrance] into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been moaning together as in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only this, but we too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [a joyful indication of the blessings to come], even we groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for [the sign of] our adoption as sons—the redemption and transformation of our body [at the resurrection]. 24 For in this hope we were saved [by faith]. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait eagerly for it with patience and composure.

the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us(vs. 18)

The HOPE which PAUL speaks of is a GLORY which IS COMING, Toward which we are MOVING as The Church day by day ( see 2 Cor. 3:18)…This GLORY AWAITS US!...It is a GLORY which will touch ALL THE WORLD!! ( Hab. 2:14 or the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. )

“Bondage of Decay” (vs. 21) = 2nd Law of Thermo Dynamics ..the Law of Entropy . states all in the Universe is running down, declining deteriorating…not just Earth Paul states is in this condition but MAN as well

The AhHa is that this is Not a HOPE or GLORY that will happen in a ‘flash’  just at the Resurrection/end of this age  but it is even taking place NOW!!

II Cor. 4:16-17 16 Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]! (AMP)

• Paul beaten w/rods 3x
• Received 39 lashes 5x
• Ship wrecked 3x
• Been adrift at sea a day and a night
• Stoned & left for Dead

WOW!!….Paul calls all this a momentary & light affliction compared with GOD’S GLORY working In us & for us eternally…an eternal wt. of GLORY beyond all compare

THIS is the PRAYER Then that the church will capture & assimilate that GOD is PROGRESSIVELY WORKING to PRODUCE a HOPE…A GLORY in them through the every day circumstances & trials of Life

GOD CAN & WILL TURN ALL THINGS TO OUR ADVANTAGE if we JUST TRUST HIM

 

 

 

 

 

• what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,…

THE BEAUTIFUL Point NOT that God is our Inheritance,,,BUT RATHER we are Owned BY HIM!!...we are HIS Inheritance

We are not our own for we  have been bought with a $ …I Cor. 6:20, 7:23

ROMANS 12:1,2 ]Therefore I urge you, [b]brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.

POINT: GOD DESIRES TO USE US!...A Great Adventure awaits us!

Give him your life -- day by day, not just in one crisis moment of dedication but in every situation. Say "Lord, do you want to use me in this situation? Okay, here I am. I'm available. I see this need right in front of me. Help me, Lord, not to pass by on the other side. Give me the grace to be available now. Lord, have you given me gifts? Is there equipment in my spirit that you want to use? Well, here it is, Lord; I'm available for you to use to meet this need." And then move out, venture out, plunge in, risk a little bit! As you do, you will discover that this brings enrichment of life, that your life gradually becomes delightful in its adventure, broad in its understanding, rich in its varied experience.

The RICHES of the GLORY of HIS Inheritance in US is to Be Used of HIM…He has invested in us & expects a GREAT ROI!!...The Parable of the TALENTS come to mind….No Risk= NO REWARD!! WE MUST RISK something…remember Jonathon & His Armor Bearer!...It will ALWAYS be well worth the RISK if we TRUST GOD

Many of you are just waiting for God to tell you to do something. But the New Testament never instructs you to do that. Its message is: "God is with you; therefore reach out, risk something, venture, move out, plunge in, try something new that you've never done before and trust God to see you through it." The result will be fantastic enrichment of life.

if you will just let God have his inheritance in your life, if you will present your body to him and say, "Lord, here I am, available to you."…. Then unlimited Favor, Glory, Adventure & GOODNESS await you!! I would venture to say (& I know myself from EXPERIENCE) there is no greater Joy & Fulfillment than this!

 

 

 

• 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward (IN)us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power , 20…which he wrought(worked) in Christ when He raised Him from the dead

 

• This power is described as according to the working of His mighty power ,Vs. 20…which he wrought(worked) in Christ when He raised Him from the dead

“WROUGHT/WORKED”(VS. 20) …”Working” (vs. 19) = Energia..is  where we get our English word ‘ENERGY’..this speaks of the energy put forth by God in the operation & surpassing Power in the Salvation process to redeem us & meet our needs this then is in accordance with & corresponds to the DIVINE ENERGY… “of His mighty power”(19) The GRK. Rendering would be “of the MANIFESTED Power of His Strength”

NOTE>>>>Antonyms for power include inability, incapacity, incompetence, inaptitude, incapability, disability, impotence, helplessness, hopelessness and impairment.

PAUL uses 4 WORDS To convey different aspects or facets of POWER that is  made available for usJ!:

 a.)(vs19) power (vs19)  GRK= DUNAMIS = ‘natural ability that is general & inherent’…b) …”Working” (vs. 19) = Energia = ‘’POWER IN EXERCISE, Exerted…operative energy…POWER”….c) mighty =KRATOS = manifested STRENGTH…d) power ,Vs. 20 ISCHUOS…strength or POWER as an ENDOWMENT, a Force (BOTH a trait ,talent…OR…PROVISION, ‘Hand out’J!)

SO we could translate this….

AND… what is the SUPERABOUNDING GREATNESS OF HIS INHERENT POWER TO/IN  US who are Believing Ones as measured by the Exerted/ OPERATIVE ENERGY of the Manifested strength of His might which =character & provision,

• 20…which he wrought(worked) in Christ when He raised Him from the dead

“WROUGHT/WORKED”(VS. 20)…is also Energia ’POWER IN EXERCISE, Exerted…operative energy…

TRANSLATION… which might WAS  Exerted/OPERATIVE in the Christ when he raised Him from among the dead & seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

 

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER (AGAIN!:-)

EPHESIANS 1:19-20 & what is the SUPERABOUNDING GREATNESS OF HIS INHERENT POWER TO/IN US who are Believing Ones as measured by the Exerted/OPERATIVE ENERGY of the Manifested strength of His might(which is Character & Provision), which might WAS OPERATIVE in the Christ when he raised Him from among the dead & seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places

I Cr. 4:20 20 For the kingdom of God is not based on talk but on power.

ACTS 1:8 8 But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”

II Peter 1:3

 For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through [a]true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

I Cr. 1:18 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.

II Cr. 4:7 7 But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.

Energia….exercised , exerted…operative ENERGY!!

Eph. 3:7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Eph. 4:16 6 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love……………I Cor. 12:10 working of Miracles

COL. 1:29 29 To this end I also labor, agonigomai according to His energia which energies in me with deutemas