Open the Eyes of Our Heart + Bible Study Video
I’ve included below the video from our Ephesians Bible study last week, during which we looked at the controversial passage that contains the verse “wives, [submit] to your husbands.” It was a fun study!
Today’s Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23 [day 03 of 20]
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you,remembering you in my prayers. 17 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.
I love how Paul prays for his churches—it’s not at all how I would think to pray. (Which means there is something wrong with me, not Paul.)
His primary prayer for his church is not that they would escape persecution or even make more disciples, but that they would know God better!
Paul must think that is important….
18 I 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,19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Paul uses this great phrase: “the eyes of ya’ll’s heart”. He wants them to “see” with spiritual insight what’s really going on, namely that God is preparing an amazing future for his people and his world, and that his power is so strong that there is no reason to doubt that this future will come to pass.
That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
The proof of God’s power is the resurrection of Jesus, who has been raised and sits in judgment over every other type of power, both material and spiritual, both now and forever. The church on earth now represents and even in some way embodies Christ.
I’ve always liked this song, but it’s only been in reading Ephesians that I learned the lyrics came from Ephesians 1.