Thanksgiving and Prayer

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus(A) and your love for all God’s people,(B) 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you,(C) remembering you in my prayers.(D) 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,(E) may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom(F) and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened(G) in order that you may know the hope to which he has called(H) you, the riches(I) of his glorious inheritance(J) in his holy people,(K) 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power(L) is the same as the mighty strength(M) 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead(N) and seated him at his right hand(O) in the heavenly realms,(P) 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,(Q) and every name(R) that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.(S) 22 And God placed all things under his feet(T) and appointed him to be head(U) over everything for the church, 23 which is his body,(V) the fullness of him(W) who fills everything in every way.(X)

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:17 Or a spirit

Thanksgiving and Prayer

15 For this reason, (A)because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love[a] toward all the saints, 16 I (B)do not cease to give thanks for you, (C)remembering you in my prayers, 17 that (D)the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, (E)may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 (F)having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is (G)the hope to which he has called you, what are (H)the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, (I)according to the working of (J)his great might 20 that he worked in Christ (K)when he raised him from the dead and (L)seated him at his right hand (M)in the heavenly places, 21 (N)far above (O)all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above (P)every name that is named, not only in (Q)this age but also in the one to come. 22 And (R)he put all things under his feet and gave him as (S)head over all things to the church, 23 (T)which is his body, (U)the fullness of him (V)who fills (W)all in all.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:15 Some manuscripts omit your love

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom

15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,[a] 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom[b] and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.[c]

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:15 Some manuscripts read your faithfulness to the Lord Jesus and to God’s people everywhere.
  2. 1:17 Or to give you the Spirit of wisdom.
  3. 1:18 Or called, and the rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his holy people.

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers; 17 [I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son]. 18 And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the [a]hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the [b]saints (God’s people), 19 and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength 20 which He [c]produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come. 22 And He [d]put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and [e]appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church,(A) 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers].

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:18 In the NT the word “hope” expresses a cherished desire along with the confident assurance of obtaining that which is longed for.
  2. Ephesians 1:18 See note v 1.
  3. Ephesians 1:20 The first of three manifestations of God’s power exhibited in Christ.
  4. Ephesians 1:22 The second manifestation of God’s power exhibited in Christ.
  5. Ephesians 1:22 This is the third manifestation of God’s power exhibited in Christ.

15-19 That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

20-23 All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.

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