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CHAPTER 7
FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
IN BIBLE STUDY GROUPS
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Ephesians 1 Commentary and Prayer: Let's Pray Scripture!

Now, I will pray with you:     

Prayer should be our first response to God's words. When God speaks to us, we should respond to Him. We should interact with Him! 


Our initial response to scripture should include:

  • Praise
  • Thanksgiving
  • Requests for understanding 
  • Requests for power to yield to Him 


These are prerequisite to obedience. If we don't respond to scripture with praise, we are responding to scripture in the flesh... in disobedience. Does not God's word say:


  • "Through him, then, let's offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name" (Hebrews 13:15).


Now, I will pray scripture with you.  Some of  you may have never heard anyone pray scripture. So, I am praying this passage with you now. While I am not with you in body, I am with you in spirit through my prayers and through these words. Your spirit and mine will become one.  


Once you begin to pray scripture, you will see that your interpretation of the scripture comes through in your prayer. The result is a Commentary Prayer. But prayer is the focus. The commentary is merely an unavoidable by-product of the prayer.


First, read the passage. Then offer your prayers. You may offer a prayer for each verse. You may offer a prayer regarding each phrase. You may even offer a prayer about each word. 


Next, read my prayers. As you hear my prayer, pray with me. If you agree with my prayers, tell your Lord that you agree. If the Spirit gives you other words to pray, pray them audibly with me. We are one in Him!



Day 1: Ephesians 1:1-3

  • "1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:
  • 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ"


Please offer your prayers now.


(Pause for prayer)


Now that you have prayed, I will pray:

If you agree with my prayers, tell your Lord that you agree. If the Spirit gives you other words to pray, pray them with me as I pray. 


Ephesians 1:1

  • "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:"


My Prayer:

Lord of Heaven and earth, I thank you for sending Paul to record and preserve your words for us... two thousand years later. You reveal that Paul didn't chose on his own to make himself an apostle. He was an apostle by Your will. You chose him for that task. You are sovereign. Your words are addressed by Paul to the believers at Ephesus, and also to those faithful in Christ, who are not at Ephesus. So, the words of this book may apply to me. I thank you. You were thinking of me when you inspired these words.


Ephesians 1:2

  • "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."


My Prayer:

Grace comes from You Father and from the Son within me. I praise You, for thousands of years ago, You intended to grant me grace and peace through Your words which You have preserved for me. Jesus, or Yahshua as I am told that your name was pronounced, You are Lord. You are Master, Ruler of my soul. I can not manufacture peace. It comes from you my Father and You my brother, Yahshua, Christ. It  comes by request as Paul has made here in this verse.


Ephesians 1:3

  • "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,"


My Prayer:

May both of you, Father and Son, have great joy. You have granted me every spiritual blessing that exists. They are mine! You list these graces in verses five through fourteen for my meditation, praise and requests for additional revelation. All of them are mine! Every good and great thing in the spiritual realm is available for me now. I will enjoy them in greater intimacy and power when I am in your visual presence in the age to come. But you give me a taste of it all in the "now". Help me through your Holy Spirit within me, to enter fully into all of your blessings. I don't fully understand them. I may only understand a tiny fraction of what you have granted to me by Your grace. Help me understand. Empower me to walk in them. Place your words in my mind so that I can give them to all who seek your grace.


You have prayed the scriptures. 


If praying the scriptures seemed awkward to you, I suggest that you read the introduction to this book. Then spend a large amount of time in the first two subchapters, 1.1 and 1.2. They are short but powerful.



Day 2: Ephesians 1:4-6


  • "4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love, 
  • 5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, 
  • 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved"



Please offer your prayers now.


(Pause for prayer)


Now that you have prayed, here is my prayer:

If you agree with my prayers, tell your Lord that you agree. If the Spirit gives you other words to pray, pray them with me as I pray. 


Ephesians 1:4

  • "even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love"


My Prayer:

Before the world was created, You predetermined that all of the blessings listed in the following verses would come through Christ, to those who are in Christ. You chose "us in him". Your plans to bless us with Your grace and peace preexisted the universe. You decided how to perfect us. You decided how we would become blameless in Your eyes. The gospel is not man's idea. My path to You was not my idea. You decided that everything of eternal value would come to us who are in Christ through Christ, Your Son. You made this choice "before the foundation of the world." Praise Your holy name... Your name is Yahweh! 
Nothing will prevent the total completion of your intentions. All "in him" will be "holy and without defect" before You!  This is because you have the love, power and authority to make us "holy and without defect" before you. I look forward to that day for  "we know that, when he (Christ) is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is" (1 John 3:2). Praise to your holy name!



Ephesians 1:5

  • "having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire"


My Prayer:

Oh my father, what great blessings you have pre-destined for those of us who are in Christ! And what you have predetermined… No power from heaven, earth or hell can overturn what what you I have pre-destined. We have this great and wonderful assurance that even you my father will not overturn what you have predetermined to do. And this great blessing you chose to bestowed on those who are in Christ because it pleased you. 


How wonderful it is to have a heavenly father who takes joy in turning dead and lost souls into sons… Into your own adopted sons! And this wonderful pre-determination was Your choice for those who are in Christ. You chose to do it through Christ. All praise to your name, Yahweh. What you have predetermined is as good as done!



Ephesians 1:6

  • "to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved"

My Prayer:

My father, I praise the glory of your holy grace that you have chosen that, in Christ, you will make those who are, in Christ, to be holy and blameless. And, oh Lord, these blessings which you have chosen for us are free. Not the result of our work. These blessings of holiness and Sonship are not wages which are due to us. Neither are they blessings which we have chosen for ourselves. They are predetermined, unalterable choices which you have made on behalf of each, every and all who are "in Christ". 


Amen.



Day 3: Ephesians 1:7-10

  • "7 in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 
  • 8 which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 
  • 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him 
  • 10 to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him."



Please offer your prayers now.


(Pause for prayer)


Now that you have prayed, I will pray:

If you agree with my prayers, tell your Lord that you agree. If the Spirit gives you other words to pray, pray them with me as I pray. 


Ephesians 1:7

  • "in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace"


My Prayer:

Now my Lord, I am still reading the list of every spiritual blessing which we have in the heavenly realm. All of these blessings come to those who are in Christ. You told us this in verse 1:3. The blessings are all listed in verses 3-14 to easily remind me of all you pre-determined to do, are doing, and will do for all who are in Christ. We are in Christ through the blood of Christ. His blood paid the redemption price to buy us out of the domain of darkness. We were slaves to sin and you paid the price with your blood to buy me to make me your own son. I have forgiveness, not because I have paid for my sins… But out of your Grace. Praise to your name!



Ephesians 1:8

  • "which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,"  


My Prayer:

My father, this redemption and forgiveness which came through your grace, you have liberally poured out on us. Your perfect and exhaustive wisdom bought brought this about. For how else would we receive every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm: holiness, blamelessness, adoption as sons, redemption, forgiveness, inheritance, and the indwelling Holy Spirit… These blessings are all listed in verses 3-14. Yes my lord, my loving father wisely does for me what I cannot do for myself! Praise to your name!



Ephesians 1:9

  • "making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him"


My Prayer:

My Lord and father, thank you for revealing this mystery for you have revealed your will. You revealed it because it gave you pleasure, to reveal to us your kindness which you determined to bring about in Christ.



Ephesians 1:10

  • "to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him."


My Prayer:

These spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm have been granted because they will be necessary in the administration to come when we, your bond-servants, will reign with Christ on your throne: Holiness, blamelessness, adoption as sons, redemption, forgiveness, inheritance, and the indwelling Holy Spirit… all these blessings will be a part of our reigning in the fullness of the times, in the completion of all things in Christ, all things in heaven and earth. We will rule the earth. Yes your perfect spiritual kingdom will rule this physical earth as you originally designed when you created the earth and placed man in the garden of Eden. You deserve all praise!


More Information:

For more information about reigning with Christ, see subchapter 6.2 titled, "Rulethe Earth".

 


Day 4: Ephesians 1:11-14

  • "11 We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will, 
  • 12 to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ. 
  • 13 In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 
  • 14 who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory."


Please offer your prayers now.


(Pause for prayer)


Now that you have prayed, I will pray:

If you agree with my prayers, tell your Lord that you agree. If the Spirit gives you other words to pray, pray them with me as I pray. 



Ephesians 1:11

  • "We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will,"


My Prayer:

My father, you have granted an inheritance to everyone who is in Christ. This inheritance is not brought about by our will or our desire but by Your will and for Your purposes. We are pre-destined to receive this inheritance. Nothing can prevent what you have predetermined. 


And what is this inheritance of wish You speak? Is it not that the adopted sons of which You previously spoke inherit the kingdom of the king who has died? The kingdom of Your Christ is now (Matthew 12:28). We can draw near to the throne of grace now (Hebrews 4:16). And that kingdom will someday extend its rule over the earth (Matthew 5:5) when all "the kingdoms under the whole sky will be given to the saints of the most high" (Daniel 7:27). Then we will judge the world (1 Corinthians 6:2). Then we will judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). Then we will sit with You on Your throne (Revelation 3:21).


More Information:

For more information about our inheritance, see subchapter 6.2 titled, "Rule the Earth".



Ephesians 1:12

  • "to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ."


My Prayer:

Oh my Lord, when this wonderful future administration which was revealed in verse 10 actually becomes visible… when we who previously hoped in Christ are observed as inheritors and the participants in that future administration… At that time Your glory will be seen and Your glory will be praised. For at that time, it will be obvious to all in heaven and earth that all who had previously hoped in Your Christ did not hope in vain but are active participants in reigning eternally over heaven and earth. Yes my Lord, You have revealed, that there is a time… When the subjects of heaven and earth will see us, who previously hoped in Christ.  And that sight will reveal Your glory and will reveal that You should be praised!



Ephesians 1:13

  • "In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,"


My Prayer:

My Lord, after I heard the gospel preached by the Holy Spirit through men I believed (1 Peter 1:12). Then, In Christ, I was sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit who had been promised. Your seal in me indicates to whom I belong. I belong to you! I am your adopted child. You have told us, in Galatians 4:8-9, that you came to know us at the time of our conversion. I praise your name! At the time of our conversion your seal of ownership is placed in us through the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is a seal of sonship. In that future day, which is foretold in Revelation 22:4, your name will be written on our foreheads. But your Holy Spirit, is the present seal which guarantees our future inheritance of Revelation 22:4 which inheritance is also mentioned in the following verse, Ephesians 1:14.



Ephesians 1:14

  • "who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory."   


My Prayer:

Your Holy Spirit, within us is Your pledge. He is Your guarantee. That part of Your self, which You placed within us, guarantees the inheritance which we receive as a result of having been bought by You, with the blood of Christ. You deserve all praise for our purchase by the blood of Christ and for the inheritance that You grant to us as adopted sons.



Day 5: Ephesians 1:15-19a

  • "15 For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints, 
  • 16 don't cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, 
  • 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, 
  • 18 having the eyes of your hearts[a] enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 
  • 19a and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe,"



Please offer your prayers now.


(Pause for prayer)


Now that you have prayed, I will pray:

If you agree with my prayers, tell your Lord that you agree. If the Spirit gives you other words to pray, pray them with me as I pray. 


Ephesians 1:15

  • "For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints,"


My Prayer:

My Lord, you have revealed all of the wonderful blessings that we have in Christ in verses 3-14. Therefore Paul prays the prayer in verses 16-19a for those who believe in your son and who have love for the Saints. He does not pray this prayer for the lost. He prays the prayer for those who believe in your son… And for those who love the Saints. Love of the Saints is your ordained way of identifying those who are disciples of Christ. Jesus said "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35)1. So, my Lord, this prayer is for those who trust in your Christ and who have the proof of this trust. The proof is love for the brethren. This is a prayer for understanding. And understanding follows conversion. You have indicated different prayers to bring about conversion2


Additional Information:

1) Can one be a Christian without being a disciple? No.  See the Appendix (A5).

2)  See you subchapter 4.4 for prayers endorsed by scripture for conversion of the lost.



Ephesians 1:16

  • "don't cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers"


My Prayer:

My father, Your apostle Paul gives thanks to You for those who trust Your son and love the Saints (verse 15). Why does he give thanks to You after seeing that they believe and love? Is it not because conversion faith is granted by You to those who seek you?1 And love for the Saints is a byproduct of that conversion faith. The growth of love is granted by You to those who ask for it in prayer.2 


Additional information: 

1) See the Appendix (A7, b-o)

2) Subchapter 4.3e



Ephesians 1:17

  • "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him,"


My Prayer:

Now my father, we see the beginning of Paul's prayer… A prayer for a spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing You. What do You mean by the spirit of wisdom… by a spirit of revelation? You do not mean the granting of the Holy Spirit, since verse 13 reveals that all who believe are already indwelt by Your Holy Spirit. You could not refer to the granting of an additional Spirit, so that we have two spirits from You which dwell within us. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 reveals that there are many manifestations or gifts of the Spirit, but that they come from the same spirit, the Holy Spirit (v3, 4, 9, 11). 1 Corinthians 12:8 indicates that wisdom and knowledge are two of the spiritual gifts granted by You for the benefit of the body of Christ. So, is Paul asking You to grant two spiritual gifts, word of wisdom and word of knowledge… or is Paul asking that the Holy Spirit within them would manifest those spiritual powers of wisdom and knowledge within individuals in the church at Ephesus? Either way, You are showing us, through Your word, that wisdom and knowledge of You are granted by You to those who ask for these things in prayer. Wisdom and knowledge of You are supernatural gifts granted by You to those who know they cannot acquire them on their own. They are granted to those who come to You by faith, to request them from You.


Ephesians 1:18

  • "having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,"


My Prayer:

My Lord, Paul prays for understanding of what he has already written in this book in verses 3-14... He prays that the Ephesians would receive understanding of the hope of Your calling and the riches of Your inheritance. So understanding of our inheritance and all that you have called us to is a result of prayer. Your servant Paul follows the example of Christ to make disciples. He repeats Your words (verses 3-14). Then he prays that You will grant understanding of Your words (verses 15-19a). So, even though one may have Your written words, your words are not understood through the scholarship or intellect of man. Understanding of Your words is a supernatural event in the spiritual realm as You grant enlightenment to those who trust not in their own scholarship and intellect but who trust in Your supernatural, spiritual communication directly into their hearts and minds. I see, oh Lord... I inherit from you (verse 14) but you inherit me (verse 18). Through the death of your Christ, I inherit you… and you inherit me. It is as it is written in the Song of Solomon, "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine".



Ephesians 1:19a

  • "and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe,"


My Prayer:

My father, it is by Your power that receive spiritual communication from You in the form of wisdom, revelation, enlightenment and knowledge. That is why we ask for them in prayer. And I am reminded that You have said "you don't have because you don't ask" (James 4:2). 


What is it my Lord, to "know the exceeding greatness of your power"? Is it not to experience Your power as we receive these gifts by asking for them? When we see our spirits changed by Your power through the prayer of faith, then we know the greatness of your power! Those who ask with doubt do not experience this power (James 1:5-7)1.. The prayer offered by faith and without doubt, is granted by You so that we know Your power as we receive Your gifts.


Additional information: 

1) See subchapter 4.2d



Day 6: Ephesians 1:19b-23

  • "19b according to that working of the strength of his might 
  • 20 which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 
  • 21 far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. 
  • 22 He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, 
  • 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."


Please offer your prayers now.


(Pause for prayer)


Now that you have prayed, I will pray:

If you agree with my prayers, tell your Lord that you agree. If the Spirit gives you other words to pray, pray them with me as I pray. 


My Prayer:

My father, that power through which You raised Christ from the dead and placed Him in authority over all things (verses 19b–23) is the same power through which You blessed us with every spiritual blessing (verse 3-14). It is the same power which enables us to receive understanding of those spiritual blessings through prayer (verses 15-19b). You gave great authority to Christ: He is at your right hand (verse 20), above all rule and authority and power and dominion (verse 21). His name is above every name and will be forever (verse 21). He is at the head of all things including the church (Verse 22). Not only is He the head of the church, but the church is His body (verse 23). 


If Your Son has authority, then His body has authority...   The church is the body of Your Son on the earth. What does the body do? The body executes the will of the head. The body follows orders as dictated by the head. And You have made Your Son to be the head of the church (verse 22). So, we execute the will of Your Son on the earth now. In the future will reign in the earth (Revelation 5:9-10). But Hebrews 2:8 says "But now we don't see all things subjected to him, yet". "Him" refers to Your Son. So, in the now, we represent the present body of Your Christ. We, as His body, also represent His future reign, of which we will participate (Revelation 22:5). All praise to Your name! We are the body used by Your Son, do do His present work in the earth... which is to draw all men to Himself (John 12: 32), to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-21)2.


So, the church, as His body (verse 23), shares in and executes Christ's authority, not only as it exists in the present age but as it will be in the age come. The authority the bondservants of Christ in the eternal state is made clear in the book of Revelation1


In the present age, all do not yield to Your Christ. But in the age to come all will yield, whether willingly or unwillingly. 


"'we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, "'As I live,' says the Lord, 'to me every knee will bow'" (Romans 14:10-11).


You have told us that we are predestined to be sons (verse 5). We have an inheritance (verse 11, 14). Sonship with inheritance represent authority in a kingdom. You spoke of an administration in Christ (verse 10). As part of the body of Christ, You have made us part of His administration. Praise to Your name! Did not Jesus say in Matthew 5:5 that the meek would inherit the earth?  


So, my Lord, the same power which placed Christ in authority granted authority to His body. And we, Your adopted sons, are the body of Christ receiving authority by that very same power! Praise Your holy name, Yahweh! 


Father, all of this is more clearly seen in chapter 2. You raised Christ from the dead and seated him at Your right hand (verse 1:20). And when we were dead in sin (verse 2:5), You raised us up and seated us with Christ (verse 2:6). So, at this very moment, by Your grace, You have seated us at Your right hand with Christ. We will reign, under Christ, seated with Christ on His throne, as Your Christ is seated with You on Your throne3


Additional information: 

1) See subchapter 6.2, "Rule the Earth".

2) All Christians are supposed to make disciples: See the appendix (A5).

3) We will sit with Christ on His throne, as Christ sat on the Father's throne:

"He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne" (Revelation 3:21). According to 1 John 5:5, the one who overcomes is "he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God". See also Revelation 3:21; 2:26-27; 20:4-6; 5:9-10.

Jesus said, 
"It is written, 
'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' 
but you have..."
Matthew 21:13

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