Useful Bible Studies > Ephesians Commentary > chapter 1
Like any teacher, Paul could teach people - but only God can give knowledge to those people. Otherwise, the people learn nothing and the teacher has wasted his effort. Similarly, Paul could advise people - but true wisdom comes from God (Proverbs 2:6). So, Paul considered it important to pray much for the Christians in the churches that he had established. That included, of course, the church at Ephesus, where Paul had worked for more than two years (Acts 19:8-10).
One result of those prayers was that God guided Paul to write this letter, the Book of Ephesians. Paul recognised that God had given him this special message to help the church in Ephesus. God also provided a method for Paul’s letter to reach Ephesus. A church leader called Tychicus was travelling to that region, and he offered to take Paul’s letters to the Christians there (6:21-22).
Paul’s prayers were not just long lists of requests. We have already seen how Paul praised God in his prayers (1:3). Now we see how Paul expressed thanks to God in his prayers (1:16). He was grateful to God for the fact that Ephesus’s Christians had remained loyal to God. He thanked God that many of them believed and trusted Christ so strongly. He also thanked God for the love that they were showing to each other, and to all Christians.
In his prayers, Paul asked God to help them to understand better what Christ had done in their lives. They needed to know about the wonderful things that God is doing for his people. The effect of that knowledge would be to make them stronger in their relationship with God (1:17-19).
Next part: Three subjects of which Christians should be constantly aware (Ephesians 1:18)
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© 2019, Keith Simons.