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Dear brothers and sisters in the one, true faith, Ephesians 1:18-19 NIVI pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. It seems a little strange for Paul to say that our hearts have eyes! But the truth is that we are totally dependent on the Spirit of God to teach us. See 1 Corinthains 2:6-16. Paul wants them to know the hope, the inheritance, and…

Dear Friends, Let’s begin inspecting the specific requests in Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17-21. Ephesians 1:17 NIVI keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Once again, Paul communicates his eagerness to pray for them. “I keep asking” is the mark of a true intercessor. Do people feel comfortable asking you to pray for them? Can you be trusted to faithfully pray?  Paul carefully constructed his prayer to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The simple…

Dear Friends in the Faith! We begin a new month of memory verses this Sunday. This October, we will meditate on and memorize Ephesians 1:17-21. The Apostle Paul planted the church in Ephesus. The story is told in Acts 18-19. For two year he stayed in the city and his last communication with the elders is recorded in Acts 20:17-38. If you have a moment, read over these chapters for a clearer picture of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus.  This prayer we will memorize is introduced by Paul’s words of gratitude to the church. Ephesians 1:15-16 NIVFor this reason, ever since…

Dear Friends, Today we conclude our devotional look into Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9-14. Paul summarizes our salvation with three word-pictures in Colossians 1:13-14: Colossians 1:13-14 NIVFor he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. First, God rescues us from our sins and its consequences! The verb here is very precise. It celebrates a rescue from a very strong enemy. It is the same verb found in Matthew 6:13, “…deliver us from evil.” We cannot rescue ourselves. We cannot…

Dear friends, In our text today, Colossians 1:10-12, Paul outlines four qualities that demonstrate a life that pleases the Lord. Colossians 1:10b-12 NIVso that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. The first quality is a…

Dear fellow intercessors, Today we continue our study of Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9-14. Last time we saw Paul praying for people he had never met personally. He is determined to keep praying for them that they will grow in their knowledge of God. Now, in Colossians 1:10, he shares his precise goal for them! His purpose is for them to experience the abundant life Jesus promised to all who believe on Him in John 10:10. Colossians 1:10a NIVSo that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way Paul uses the language of…

Dear Friends, This month we are memorizing Paul’s prayer for the church at Colossae, which is found in Colossians 1:9-14. Paul never met these disciples, but his prayer is very specific and glorious! This is an excellent example of intercessory prayer. His prayer opens with a very dynamic spiritual request. Colossians 1:9 NIVFor this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, Immediately we discover that Paul had only “heard”…

Dear Brothers and Sisters, We are on an exciting journey together! We are learning to partner with God and each other. Prayer is vital to this union in Christ! Philippians 1:10-11 NIVso that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ– to the glory and praise of God. Here are the intended results: I hope today’s thoughts will transform our intercessory prayers. We need to reach for higher requests. We pray with confidence because we know God…

Dear friends, Today, we begin a look into the prayer Paul is praying for the church in Philippi. This prayer was written many years ago, but God can use it to transform our prayers for others today in 2025.  Here is the Apostle Paul’s prayer: Philippians 1:9-11 NIVAnd this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ– to…

Dear Friends, I want to explore Philippians 1:7-8 with you today.   Philippians 1:7-8 NIVIt is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.  Paul expresses his deep love for Jesus and for this church. He is not ashamed or embarrassed to do so!  1.      His love for them is inclusive…