This is a Model Prayer.....

Pattern for prayer

Like the Lord's prayer for example

Ephesians 1:15-23

Ephesians 3:14-21

. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

vs. 15


A relationship with

the – there is only one Lord, Jesus source of our life and focus of our faith…..

John 14:6 - 6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Lord – He is in control and you are not –
Phil 2:5 - 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus – the man who is our Savior – and we need a savior…….
Matthew 1:21 - 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[a] because he will save his people from their sins."

Matthew 9:12-13 - 12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.“

A faith worth modeling – I myself have heard…..
People are talking about how you walk with Jesus

Have a visible, living, current, active present day faith

Love for …..that flows out of this faith in Christ
All – not just some, but all……only God can make this happen

the saints – those in particular who are in the church, in Christ, fellow believers…..

Application………..learn to pray these points for people…………

Standard in putting on the survival suit....two minutes.....

can keep you alive for up to 19 hours in cold ocean water

A practice that continues

I have not stopped

A practice that includes being thankful for other Christians

common part of Paul’s praying

A practice that


Informed about others - stays informed about others


Personal interest - I myself have heard



I remember you - recollect, review, re-gather my thoughts for you, pull out the latest newsletter or email or facebook posting



Intercession - talks to God on behalf of others

We direct our prayers to…….notice the explicit mention of the trinity – all of who God is emphasizes the importance of prayer

God – he is and we are not…….

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

Glorious –
Pray that we may know him better

Spirit of wisdom - ……capacity to understand, to skillfully understand and apply information..... .

revelation – blanket ……o uncover that which was previously hidden from view or understanding....in the interest of full disclosure.....open door to the deep things of God....knowledge of Him

deeper understanding – glass that is full……full knowledge, complete, deeper, so that you may know epignosis - to know him better, to be able to put knowledge on top of knowledge......know him fully, deeper, more completely......him better.

enlightened – flashlight……perfect passive - your heart may be given light - the light of the revelation of God would act on, show up in, and impact your heart......

that this would be something that happens to you, not something you can do......

(Illus. Role of the Holy Spirit - John 14:26 - 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 16:13 - 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

I Corinthians 2:12 - 12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.)
 
asking God to provide those aha moments that propel us to new heights of spiritual depth with God...

described in Mt 4:16, Is 9:2, Paul's conversion in Acts 9.....notice the emphasis on uncovering, opening up, being revealed , having understanding.....

the hope that is ours in Christ

one could easily get the idea that we have a great deal to learn, perceive, understand, "see": 

This is basically a prayer for spiritual growth.....

Paul understands that most of what we respond to will not be through direct teaching or instruction, but also through the Spirit of God revealing things to us that we would be more apt to accept and be more open to......

Walk as hopeful people –
hope - to look forward to with confidence and optimism because of the certainly and faith in the one behind the promise....... 
calling - the role God has asked you to fill, live out, focus on.....live worthy of the responsibility which God has urgently invited you to accept’ or ‘ … live worthy of the task which God has given you to do.’

(Illus. Interesting to note that our hope is strengthened when we are doing what God designed us to do…….emphasizing two things – the value of knowing your spiritual gifts and actually using them. )
 Walk as holy people
a glorious life a splendor, brightness, amazing might, - that which elicits wonder or amazement like raising Jesus from the dead...for example…deserving of praise, honor, greatness…...

  the riches of his glorious inheritance     ....in the saints - the place for this inheritance is within the scope of being a saint....one who is holy, set apart from sin and  living for Him........

among the saints - we get to see now part of what awaits us in eternity - the fellowship, the grace at work in our interaction with each other, the comfort, encouragement etc. occurs in the scope of the saints – outside the holy set apart fellowship is no abundant inheritance…….but condemnation and pain….. 
 
Walk as faithful people
For those who believe there is a connection to this powerfully awe inspiring God
and his incomparably - over the top - thrown  farther than anyone else at the track meet kind of power.....not worried about the silver medal, God always throws for the gold...... 
great power for us who believe.   and coupled with the word mega - big large, huge, and dunamis – the word we get for dynamite…………

(Illus.…gimagantic........as Joey would say)
Again in this passage we see the present tense nature of faith - this power is at work in the lives of those who have a real, present tense active living faith....not a historical one alone...it is a present tense participle.......alive now.....that described from yesterday........
 
 implication is here that we grow into our understanding of how to live like this. we need to be shown, encouraged, gain skill, have things revealed to us, the light of God's wisdom shown on our dark spots, etc.  

vs. 19

Now he goes on to illustrate the concept of power ....no surprise that this is seen in Christ....... 

That power is like the working of his mighty strength - used to describe physical strength - like holding onto something tighter than anyone else - so it can't be ripped out or the idea of mightier, more powerful, often used with mega, and isxuros - force or might...... and dunamis....... 

God’s power over death seen in the ability to raise Jesus from the dead - the resurrection

seen in God’s ability to put Jesus on his right hand and give him the authority that….
(Illus. seating him at the right hand - not a place per se - but primarily a position of authority )

led to Satan’s fall

led to our fall as a race
(Illus. Idea of being able to reach down and grab Jesus from the hands of death and over power those hands and lift him up and exalt him just as the Father said he would.......and sit him on the right hand  ....the place of and position of authority......far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Real picture of authority and supremacy..............)
 
God’s power over oppressive rulers 
 
And God placed - everybody who thinks they are anybody will be placed in a formation under the real head over all things...military term..........

Jesus.......you can line up now......or you will line up later........


And God gave Him - all things under his feet and appointed, given him the position of....head

sense of origin - that Christ is the source of life for the church

sense of leadership - the one who directs its activities

sense of presence through the church – the visible work of an invisible savior

(Illus. the church is to be the supreme illustration of the will of Christ on earth)
 these are all aorist verbs  - indicating that there is a sense of decisiveness in God the Father when he puts all this in motion......