Year in the Bible Daily Reading:
Exodus 7-9; Psalm 105; Ephesians 1 Listen to Today's Reading
Ephesians 1:15-23
Therefore I also, after hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, mentioning you in my prayers, so that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He performed in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet and made Him the head over all things for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all things in all ways. Ephesians 1:15-23 (MEV)
In her later years, my mother was limited in mobility, and could not attend things like concerts, graduations and school award ceremonies for her grandchildren. Yet she always made sure each one of them knew how much she was proud of them, and thankful for them, by telling them the next time she saw them or by telephone or even a card in the mail. She made them feel like they were really using God’s gifts well, without claiming any influence herself.
In this opening to the book of Ephesians, Paul greets the church there, and proclaims his thankfulness to God for their faithfulness. He then lists the many promises and gifts of God that belong to believers. But again, Paul thanks God, not the church in Ephesus, for the successes they have had. The passage above is really a prayer for them from Paul, a wish for them to realize the power that comes from believing in Christ. I would recommend that you read the first part of the chapter as well. Paul is not there among them, (hence the letter!) but he hears of them and wants them to rely not on him, but on their belief in Christ since they were sealed in Baptism with the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Paul has some wonderful things to say in this letter to the Ephesians, but his actions: giving thanks to God, praising God for the church in Ephesus, and letting others know of his thankfulness, are things we can do in our daily lives. We can pray to let God know why we are thankful, for the needs of others, and we can tell others why we are thankful for them. Try it, and you might just have someone tell you why they are thankful for you!
Questions for Reflection:
- When was the last time you told someone you thanked God for them?
- Does your faith fill you with awesome power in Christ?
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for those around me and help me tell them how well they are using your gifts. Grant your power to all who believe in you, and give us the thankfulness that Paul had for the church in Ephesus. In your name we pray, Amen.
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