CrossWay Church
April 12, 2020: Paul's prayer for the Ephesians
These are the Bible passage and sermon notes for our Sunday morning worship services.
Locations & Times
CrossWay Church Battle Ground
311 N Parkway Ave, Battle Ground, WA 98604, USA
Sunday 9:30 AM
Ephesians 1:15-23: Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians
I) Paul cares about this church. (Eph. 1:15-16)
A) He is thankful for their ______________ to Christ.
B) He is also proud of the way they ________________ each other.
C) Paul prays consistently for these believers even though he is __________________.
II) Paul begins by giving thanks!(Eph. 1:17)
What and who do you have to be thankful for? How can you incorporate thanks into your prayers during this COVID-19?
III) Paul prays that the believers' eyes of their hearts would be opened to God's work in their lives.(Eph. 1:18-23)
A) He asks that the Holy Spirit would help them _________________ (ginosko) God better.(Eph. 1:18, John 14:16-25)
GINOSKO = Personal, felt knowledge gained through experience.
How would you restate this prayer in your own words? How could you incorporate it into your prayers this week?
B) He prays that the believers would be confident in the ____________ that God will finish the work he started in them. (Eph. 1:18)
How would you restate this prayer in your own words? How could you incorporate it into your prayers this week?
C) He prays that believers would know their _____________ to God.(Eph. 1:18, Eph 3:14:21)
How would you restate this prayer in your own words? How could you incorporate it into your prayers this week?
D) He prays that believers would realize that the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is _____________ at work in their lives.(Eph. 1:18-20, 2 Kings 6:15-17)
How would you restate this prayer in your own words? How could you incorporate it into your prayers this week?
E) He prays that believers would see the totality and finality of Christ’s rule.
How would you restate this prayer in your own words? How could you incorporate it into your prayers this week?
“There’s never a moment in all our lives, from the day we trusted Christ till the day we see Him, when God is not longing to bless us. At every moment, in every circumstance, God is doing us good. He never stops. It gives Him too much pleasure. God is not waiting to bless us after our troubles end. He is blessing us right now, in and through those troubles. At this exact moment, He is giving us what He thinks is good. There, of course, is the rub. He gives us what He thinks is good, what He knows is good. We don’t always agree. We have our own ideas about what a good God should do in the middle of our circumstances… Not only do we want what immediately feels good and often dislike what in fact is good for us, but we’re also out of touch with what would bring us the most pleasure if it were given to us.”
― Larry Crabb, Shattered Dreams: God's Unexpected Pathway to Joy
I) Paul cares about this church. (Eph. 1:15-16)
A) He is thankful for their ______________ to Christ.
B) He is also proud of the way they ________________ each other.
C) Paul prays consistently for these believers even though he is __________________.
II) Paul begins by giving thanks!(Eph. 1:17)
What and who do you have to be thankful for? How can you incorporate thanks into your prayers during this COVID-19?
III) Paul prays that the believers' eyes of their hearts would be opened to God's work in their lives.(Eph. 1:18-23)
A) He asks that the Holy Spirit would help them _________________ (ginosko) God better.(Eph. 1:18, John 14:16-25)
GINOSKO = Personal, felt knowledge gained through experience.
How would you restate this prayer in your own words? How could you incorporate it into your prayers this week?
B) He prays that the believers would be confident in the ____________ that God will finish the work he started in them. (Eph. 1:18)
How would you restate this prayer in your own words? How could you incorporate it into your prayers this week?
C) He prays that believers would know their _____________ to God.(Eph. 1:18, Eph 3:14:21)
How would you restate this prayer in your own words? How could you incorporate it into your prayers this week?
D) He prays that believers would realize that the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is _____________ at work in their lives.(Eph. 1:18-20, 2 Kings 6:15-17)
How would you restate this prayer in your own words? How could you incorporate it into your prayers this week?
E) He prays that believers would see the totality and finality of Christ’s rule.
How would you restate this prayer in your own words? How could you incorporate it into your prayers this week?
“There’s never a moment in all our lives, from the day we trusted Christ till the day we see Him, when God is not longing to bless us. At every moment, in every circumstance, God is doing us good. He never stops. It gives Him too much pleasure. God is not waiting to bless us after our troubles end. He is blessing us right now, in and through those troubles. At this exact moment, He is giving us what He thinks is good. There, of course, is the rub. He gives us what He thinks is good, what He knows is good. We don’t always agree. We have our own ideas about what a good God should do in the middle of our circumstances… Not only do we want what immediately feels good and often dislike what in fact is good for us, but we’re also out of touch with what would bring us the most pleasure if it were given to us.”
― Larry Crabb, Shattered Dreams: God's Unexpected Pathway to Joy