"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power" (Eph. 1:16-19).
It's clear from Paul prayers for the believers in Ephesus that you can be saved but not fully enlighten to the hope and glorious riches of our salvation. For these same Ephesian believers Paul also prayed, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Eph. 3:14-19).
Notice what Paul is praying for on behalf of the Ephesian believers. He prays for the Holy Spirit to strengthen these believer in the inner person in such a way that they would come to know the love of God in a far deeper and intimate way. This greater intimacy with God that Paul is praying for will also lead the Ephesians to be filled with a greater fullness of God's presence and power at work in and through their lives.
Once again, these prayers that Paul prayed on behalf of other believers reveal that not only is there a need for greater enlightenment among believers, but a greater experience of God in their lives. If Paul prayed this way for the Ephesian believers; there is no reason that we should not be praying this way for ourselves and on behalf of others. In fact I believe that the things that Paul was praying for should be the greatest longing and desire of every child of God. To be enlighten to the glorious riches and hope of our salvation and know God more intimately is the greatest need of every believer. If we are going to make an impact upon this world for Jesus we must know his love in such a way that we can say like David, "Because his love is better than life my lips shall praise him (Psalm 63:3).
The more we understand the hope of salvation and the love of God the greater burden and anguish we will have for the lost. The more we know the love and fullness of God the more we will desire for others to have what we have in the Lord. I've read enough about how deeply and intimately others have known God and his power at work in their lives. I don’t just want to read about it anymore. I want more of God in my own life. Who’s with me? Who will covenant to pray for me and with me? Who will pray that God would pour out his Spirit and grant us, (and our youth) such a greater awareness of who he is that it will produce in us a greater love for him, a greater burden for the lost, a greater hunger for his word, a greater hatred for sin and greater passion to pray to a God who "can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us" (Eph. 3:20).
God loves to do and is pleased to do what only he can do in answer to the effectual and fervent prayer's of those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Let it not be said of us, "And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee..." (Isaiah 64:7). Who will call upon God, who will stir up himself to take a hold of Him and not let go until he blesses us with the fullness of his hope and steadfast love? May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
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