A Noble Prayer - May 16, 2021

By Pastor Chuck Ryan

A Noble Prayer

 

Text: Ephesians 1:17-23; 1 Corinthians 2:15-16 “The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, "Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.”

 

Thesis: The prayers of a mature Christian will include Spiritual request. God wants us to be spiritually minded.

 

1. The Prayer of the Apostle Paul, for his Church family, is concerning their Spiritual needs. (vs 17-19)

 

1. Paul states, “I 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.” (vs17)

 

1. The Holy Spirit can give us “Wisdom and Revelation.”

 

1. Paul’s concern is not that we have wisdom and revelation to gain temporal things.
2. Relating to worldly as opposed to spiritual affairs; secular.

synonyms:

secular · nonspiritual · worldly · profane · material · mundane · earthly  · nonreligious ·  

carnal · fleshly · mortal

• “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

 

1. The Apostle Paul’s desire is “that you may know him better.”
2. Our main goal as Christians is to get to know Jesus better.

• “The main thing, is to keep the main thing, the main thing!”

1. Paul also prays, “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened”
2. “That you may know the hope to which he has called you.”
3. “That you may know the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”
4. “That you may know his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

 

1. The evidence of God’s power was demonstrated in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the “seating of Jesus on the right hand in the heavenly realms.” (vs 20-23)

 

1. Jesus defeated our final enemy which is death.

• “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:26)
• Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)

 

1. God seated Jesus on his right side and placed everything under his rule and dominion. (Read vs 21-23; Colossians 1:15-23)