Praying in light of the Resurrection

This Sunday is Easter Sunday and I will preach Ephesians 1:15-23. In this passage I am astonished how the Resurrection impacted the Apostle Paul's prayers.

Paul prayed that the church would :

1. Know God
2. Know the Hope of His calling
3. Know the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints
4. Know the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe

These realities are only possible because God:

1. Raised Jesus from the dead
2. Seated Jesus at His right hand
3. Put all things under His feet
4. Gave Him as Head to the church.

God accomplished the latter 4 things in order to make the former 4 things a reality in our lives. To put it another way if Jesus were not raised from the dead we could not know God, we would not know His calling nor the hope in that calling, we would not know or experience any inheritance and we would only know His power against us who would not believe.

Today, I'm praying for the church a little differently because Jesus has risen from the grave. I'm praying with Paul that you would Know God, Know the hope of His calling, Know His riches and Know God's power at work in us and through us.

Today I am praying for those who do not know and love Jesus that the reality of the resurrection and the power of God would convince them that He is a good God who knows and loves them.

Today I'm also praying that "utterance my be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make know with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak(Eph 6:19-20)."