Devotion 5: Praying for Growth

January 24, 2025 5:00 AM
Lesson Three | Devotion 5: Praying for Growth  
Lorena Norris 

In the first 14 verses of Ephesians, Paul describes spiritual blessings in Jesus. He praises God for His faithful character in compassion, forgiveness, grace, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then, in verses 15-17, Paul has heard the Ephesians’ faith and their commitment to acting in love.  

Ephesians 1:15-17 says, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.” 

You can imagine the Church of Ephesus is in a fruitful season. They thrived on the spiritual blessings explained in the earlier verses. The word traveled so much that their reputation was becoming known. Paul appreciates and praises all the good things in the Church of Ephesus. Then, upon hearing these reports, Paul takes action. He begins to give thanks and remembers the Ephesians in his prayers. Paul prays for “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.” Paul is praying that this lively Church would continue to pursue holy and righteous things, which is the character of God! He is praying that the Church will continue to know Christ more.  

What a profound prayer in such few words and such great circumstances. However, this prayer can feel unnatural to us. Why would a thriving church under such spiritual blessings need prayer? We naturally pray for circumstances to change when we see the world is fallen in nature. We often treat prayer as a crisis response. Yet, Paul flips this idea on its head. Paul does not pray for circumstances to change, but for the Church to seize opportunities to grow closer to God in wisdom and knowledge of Him. This prayer added fuel to a fire that is already burning for Christ. It reminds us that God is with us in times of great joy and great need. This prayer teaches us to pray for renewed strength, wisdom, growth, and dependency on Jesus instead of praying for the situation to change. Every moment, good or bad, is a moment for God’s presence to invade and show us something new.  

This does not dismiss prayers of lament, protest, healing, or deliverance. The Bible shows us many of these prayers and tells us to pray and care for those in need. Nevertheless, these verses show us how to pray for each other in all circumstances. When someone is down in a valley, they need your prayers. When someone is up on a mountain, they need your prayers. Who in your life is on a mountain? Who in your life is in a valley? Follow the example in Ephesians 1:15-17. Pray and give thanks to the Lord for that person in your life. Then, pray that God would give them wisdom. The goal is to receive that wisdom so that a person can grow in their relationship with their Creator.  

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