“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Ephesians 1:15-17)

Paul engaged the Ephesian Christians on many levels. He encouraged them in difficult times, preached the gospel powerfully before them, and lived a Christ-centered life among them. The fact that Paul told them he prayed for them continually speaks volumes to his care and concern for them. He told them how he prayed for them. This is important. We often say to the others, “I’m praying for you.” How much more encouraging would it be to share exactly how we are praying for them. Paul prayed they would know Christ more, thus becoming wiser and gaining more understanding of His will for them. A good habit for every Christian would be, when asked by another, “would you pray for me?” to respond, “How, exactly?”

Reflection Questions.

What do you believe is the biggest obstacle to effectively praying for others? How can you move beyond that obstacle?

Has someone recently asked you to pray for them? Reach out to that person and ask them how you can pray specifically for them.