The Ephesians were exemplary in their faith in Christ and love for all Christians. So, Paul was very thankful for them. When he prayed for them, he asked God to give them the spirit of revelation and wisdom to know him better. Ephesus was an international city with marble streets, the ancient wonder of the Temple of Artemis, and a social influence on par with Rome. The Ephesians knew the world well. And, they needed to know God more. The work of the Holy Spirit is to transform any kind of person to know God more. We need wisdom and revelation to be free of our cultural mindsets, fixed generational ideas, and blind spots to really know Christ and become like him.

The second thing Paul prayed for was that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened to know the hope Christ Jesus gives. What we see in our hearts determines our hope and destiny. We can have real hope, because God raised Christ from the dead in power and seated him at His right hand with all authority. And we know He will raise us, too. We, his holy people, will inherit his kingdom. He bestows on us his incomparably great power. Moreover, God put everything under Jesus' feet, including the church, which is Christ's body.


Application: Lord, grant me the Holy Spirit so that I may know you better and have real hope in you.
One Word: Enlighten the eyes of my heart