Pray: Humbly ask God for wisdom. Ask Him to teach you as you read the following section of the Bible.
Read: Ephesians 1:15-19
Is there anyone in your life that you are thankful for? How about someone to the point that you are constantly thanking God for them and praying for them? In these verses, the apostle Paul tells the Ephesians that he is constantly thanking God for them and praying for them. Why was Paul so thankful for the Ephesians?
Wouldn’t you agree that most of the time we are thankful for others because of what they have done for us or for something they have given us? This was not the case for Paul. It was solely because of the Ephesians faith in Jesus and their love towards all those in the church. You see, much of his life boiled down to one thing—sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with people (Acts 20:24). Therefore, as he heard of others’ faith in Jesus Christ and how they were obeying Jesus’ commands to love one another (John 13:34-35), he was overwhelmed with thanksgiving.
While Paul was overjoyed and thankful for the Ephesians faith and love, he also prayed for God to continue working in their lives. Though we may wish spiritual maturity would happen overnight, Paul knew that growing in faith is a journey that continues throughout a believer’s life. Therefore, he prayed that God would continue to give the Ephesians wisdom and a greater knowledge of who He was. Considering that, Paul recognized that Godly wisdom and a deeper knowledge of God were essential to the Ephesians spiritual growth, might these things be essential to your spiritual growth as well?
Take a moment and ask God to give you wisdom and to reveal more of Himself to you as you go over the reflection questions below.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you see spiritual growth as a continuous journey like Paul did? Where are you at on this journey?
2. If someone looked at your faith in Jesus and your love for others, would they be overwhelmed with thanksgiving like Paul was? If not, what practical things could you do to help your faith grow? What are some ways you could show more love towards other believers?
3. Look at verses 18-19. What are the ways that God gives wisdom and a greater knowledge of who He is?
Memorize: Ephesians 1:15-16
15 This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. “