Transformative Prayer: Seeing Through God's Eyes

 

Summary

Prayer is a journey, not a destination, and none of us have fully arrived. We all have room to grow in how we connect with God. Many of us learned prayers as children—some simple, some traditional, some even a bit odd in hindsight—but the heart of prayer is honest, personal communication with our Father. As we begin this series on prayer, we look to the Apostle Paul, a man radically transformed by God, who went from persecutor to preacher, and whose prayers for the church reveal deep spiritual priorities.

Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesus, found in Ephesians 1, is a model for us. He begins with gratitude, thanking God for the faith and love of the believers, even as they live in a culture thick with idolatry and spiritual darkness. Paul’s first response is not critique, but celebration—he rejoices that they are holding fast to Jesus in a world that pulls them in every direction. This is a reminder that our own lives are filled with potential idols, anything we put before God, and yet God calls us to remain faithful.

Paul then moves from thanksgiving to intercession, praying not for easier circumstances, but for spiritual sight. He asks God to give the believers wisdom and revelation so they may know Him better. Paul doesn’t pray for their problems to disappear; he prays for their eyes to be opened, for them to see with the eyes of Jesus. When we see clearly, we live differently. Recognizing who we are in Christ and what is already ours changes how we walk through life.

Specifically, Paul prays for three things: that we would know the hope of our calling, the riches of God’s glorious inheritance in us, and the immeasurable power available to us who believe. This hope is not wishful thinking, but a deep-rooted confidence in God’s promises. The inheritance is not about material wealth, but about God delighting in us as His people. And the power is resurrection power—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at God’s right hand.

Rather than asking God to simply fix our circumstances, we are invited to pray for new eyes—to see God’s work in the midst of our struggles, to recognize the blessings we already have, and to trust in His power to redeem and restore. When we pray like Paul, we begin to see the world, and the people in it, through the eyes of King Jesus.

Key Takeaways

- Gratitude in the Midst of Darkness
Paul’s first instinct is to thank God for the faithfulness of the Ephesian believers, even as they live surrounded by spiritual darkness and idolatry. This teaches us to look for and celebrate the evidence of God’s work in others, especially when circumstances are hard. Gratitude shifts our focus from critique to encouragement, reminding us that God’s light shines brightest in the darkest places. [09:52]

- Praying for Spiritual Sight, Not Just Solutions
Paul does not pray for the Ephesians’ lives to become easier, but for their eyes to be opened to see as Jesus sees. This challenges us to move beyond prayers for comfort or escape, and instead ask God for clarity and spiritual vision. When we see with the eyes of Christ, our perspective on our struggles, relationships, and daily life is transformed. [13:17]

- The Hope of Our Calling Is Secure
Hope in Christ is not mere optimism or wishful thinking; it is a deep, unshakeable confidence rooted in God’s promises and grace. Paul reminds us that we were once spiritually dead, but now are alive in Christ, and that hope is the anchor for our souls. Holding onto this hope enables us to persevere through disappointment, fear, and uncertainty, trusting that God is still at work. [16:45]

- We Are God’s Inheritance—He Delights in Us
Paul prays that we would grasp the riches of God’s glorious inheritance in His people. This means that God doesn’t just tolerate us—He treasures us, looks forward to being with us, and delights in calling us His own. Understanding this truth changes how we see ourselves and others, freeing us from shame and inviting us into deeper intimacy with God. [20:31]

- Resurrection Power Is Available Now
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us today, not just for miracles, but for daily transformation, redemption, and restoration. This power can heal broken relationships, renew flatlined faith, and bring peace in the midst of despair. Praying for and trusting in this power moves us from self-reliance to dependence on God’s limitless strength. [22:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:07] - The Ongoing Journey of Prayer
[03:00] - Childhood Prayers and Traditions
[04:33] - The Universal Experience of Prayer
[05:13] - Why Study Paul’s Prayers?
[06:31] - Saul’s Transformation to Paul
[07:31] - God’s Power to Turn Lives Around
[08:35] - Paul’s Gratitude for the Ephesians
[09:52] - Faithfulness Amidst Idolatry
[12:17] - From Thanksgiving to Intercession
[13:17] - Praying for Spiritual Sight
[15:29] - Seeing with the Eyes of Jesus
[16:45] - The Hope of Our Calling
[18:48] - The Riches of God’s Inheritance
[21:43] - Resurrection and Ascension Power
[24:43] - Praying for Clarity, Not Comfort
[26:24] - The Gift of New Eyes
[27:19] - Living and Loving with Jesus’ Vision
[28:46] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: “Praying for New Eyes”

---

### Bible Reading

- Ephesians 1:15-23
Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesus, focusing on gratitude, spiritual sight, hope, inheritance, and resurrection power.

---

### Observation Questions

1. According to Ephesians 1:15-16, what is the first thing Paul does when he hears about the faith and love of the Ephesian believers?
2. In Ephesians 1:17-18, what specific things does Paul pray for the believers to receive from God?
3. The sermon mentions that Ephesus was a city “dominated by idol worship” and “spiritual darkness.” What evidence does Paul see that encourages him about the church there? [[09:26]]
4. What three things does Paul specifically pray that the Ephesians would know, according to verses 18-19?

---

### Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Paul’s first response to hearing about the Ephesians’ faith is gratitude, rather than critique or concern? How might this shape the way we view other believers? [[09:52]]
2. Paul doesn’t pray for the Ephesians’ circumstances to change, but for their “eyes to be opened.” What does this reveal about his priorities for spiritual growth? [[13:17]]
3. The sermon says that hope in Christ is “not just wishful thinking, but a deep-rooted confidence in God’s promises.” How does this kind of hope differ from ordinary optimism? [[16:45]]
4. What does it mean that “we are God’s inheritance” and that He “delights in us”? How might this truth affect the way we see ourselves and others? [[20:31]]

---

### Application Questions

1. Paul celebrates the faithfulness of the Ephesians even though they live in a spiritually dark and idolatrous culture. What are some “idols” or distractions in your own life that compete for your attention and affection? How can you practice gratitude for God’s work in your life and in others, even when things are hard? [[10:31]]
2. When you pray, do you tend to ask God to fix your circumstances, or do you ask Him to help you see with new eyes? What would it look like for you to pray more for spiritual sight and less for comfort or escape? [[13:17]]
3. The sermon challenges us to recognize the hope we have in Christ, even when life is disappointing or uncertain. Can you share a time when holding onto this hope helped you persevere? How can you remind yourself of this hope in your current season? [[16:45]]
4. The idea that God delights in us and treasures us as His inheritance is powerful. Are there areas in your life where you struggle to believe that God truly delights in you? How might embracing this truth change your relationship with Him and with others? [[20:31]]
5. Paul prays that believers would know the “immeasurable power” available to them—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Where in your life do you need to trust in God’s resurrection power for transformation, healing, or restoration? [[22:13]]
6. The sermon suggests that instead of praying for more stuff or easier lives, we should pray to recognize the blessings we already have. What is one blessing in your life that you often overlook? How can you thank God for it this week? [[25:48]]
7. Think of a relationship or situation where you need to see with the “eyes of King Jesus.” What is one practical step you can take this week to respond with His perspective, rather than your own? [[27:19]]

---

Devotional

Day 1: Gratitude for Faithfulness in a Dark Culture
Paul models a heart of gratitude, giving thanks for the faith and love of the Ephesian believers who remain steadfast in Christ despite living in a culture saturated with idol worship and spiritual darkness. He celebrates their perseverance, recognizing the challenges they face and choosing to focus on their faithfulness rather than critique their struggles. This posture of thankfulness is a powerful reminder to look for and celebrate the evidence of God at work in others, especially when the world around us seems to pull in the opposite direction. [09:01]

Ephesians 1:15-16 (ESV)
“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

Reflection: Who in your life is holding on to faith in difficult circumstances? Can you take a moment today to thank God for them and encourage them in their walk?


Day 2: Praying for Spiritual Sight, Not Easier Circumstances
Instead of asking God to make life easier for the Ephesians, Paul prays that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so they may know Him better and see the world through the eyes of Jesus. This prayer is not for new glasses, but for new eyes—eyes that see beyond the surface, that discern God’s presence and purpose even in hardship. When we pray for spiritual sight, we begin to live differently, responding to life’s challenges with clarity and Christlike perspective. [13:05]

Ephesians 1:17-18a (ESV)
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you…”

Reflection: What situation in your life feels overwhelming or unclear? Ask God today to help you see it through His eyes, not just your own.


Day 3: Holding On to the Hope of Our Calling
Paul prays that believers would know the hope to which God has called them—a hope that is not wishful thinking, but a deep-rooted confidence in God’s promises and grace. This hope is secure and guaranteed, rooted in the truth that what was dead can live again, and what is broken can be made whole in Christ. Even when life is clouded by fear, regret, or disappointment, God’s hope remains, inviting us to trust that He is still working and not finished with us yet. [16:45]

Ephesians 1:18b (ESV)
“…that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…”

Reflection: Where do you need to hold on to hope today? Is there a broken area of your life where you can ask God to remind you of His promises?


Day 4: Knowing We Are God’s Glorious Inheritance
Paul wants believers to grasp that they are God’s inheritance—deeply loved, delighted in, and eagerly anticipated by their Heavenly Father. God does not merely tolerate us; He looks forward to the day when all is made right and we are with Him forever. This truth transforms how we see ourselves, moving us from feelings of unworthiness to the assurance that we are cherished and valued by God beyond measure. [20:09]

Ephesians 1:18c (ESV)
“…what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…”

Reflection: How does knowing that you are God’s inheritance change the way you view yourself and your relationship with Him? What would it look like to live today as someone God delights in?


Day 5: Living in Resurrection and Ascension Power
Paul prays that believers would know the immeasurable greatness of God’s power—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at God’s right hand. This resurrection and ascension power is available to us, redeeming what is broken, bringing peace into despair, and reviving faith that feels flat or dead. When we recognize and walk in this power, we face life’s challenges not with defeat, but with confidence that God is able to restore, renew, and empower us for His purposes. [22:13]

Ephesians 1:19-21 (ESV)
“…and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”

Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you need to experience God’s resurrection power? What step can you take today to trust Him to redeem or restore what feels broken?

Quotes

I would venture to say that probably none of us in this room would say, "I have arrived at the peak of my prayer life and I have no room to grow." I'd venture most of us in here to say, "I need some help. I like to grow. I like to do a little bit better." even if we feel like we have an active prayer life. And so annually we like to spend some time just dive into the topic of prayer to encourage us to be people of prayer and to learn how we can be people of prayer and learn how we can get better at this great avenue that God has given us to connect with him through the power of prayer. [00:01:56]

Maybe it was something your grandparents taught you. Maybe it's something you learned in Sunday school or vacation Bible school growing up. But many times we learn certain kind of prayer. Something real simple like you remember this one. Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Do you ever wonder why we're sending kids to bed thinking about dying? Hey, you're going to bed right now. I hope you don't die, child. It never hits you when you're a kid, but as an adult, you're like, what are we teaching these kids? [00:02:42]

Maybe you did this one at home. Maybe it was regular in your church. Say it with me. Our Father, who art in heaven, be thy name. Thom. Thy will be done on earth. and lead us not into temptation and glory forever. Yeah. Amen. Some of you learned that in King James and some of you learn it in NIV. I heard some variations there. A little bit different, right? Um very normal prayer. Now, now depending on your background, and I put this in my notes, and one of the guys in the tech booth said, "Oh man, it's been a long time since I prayed that one." [00:03:23]

Maybe some of you grew up with, "Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed thou art amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death." If you grew up Catholic, that was a very normal prayer you grew up with. If you grew up Muslim or you grew up Hindu or whatever your background is, you probably grew up with some kind of idea of prayer. Maybe prayer was just remembering an old saint that would just pray and you would be around that person and it just felt like when they're pray when they prayed it was different. [00:04:13]

You felt like there was extra power, there was extra strength or like that person praying just had a communication with God as you witness and as you watched them pray. You're like they pray different and you just knew it was natural. It was honest. It was personal. That's how prayer is supposed to be. It's supposed to be just us sitting down and communicating with the father just like a friend and just sitting and having a conversation. Today we begin this series and we've simply have just called it pray because that's the word of God. The word of God calls us to pray. Jesus said, "And when you pray." [00:04:49]

So, what we're going to do in this series is we're going to easedrop so to speak. We're going to dive in and we're going to look at the Apostle Paul and how he prayed. Now, let me give you a little bit of background before we say, well, why the Apostle Paul? Why is he important? Why should we consider what he prayed? If you remember the account, his name used to be Saul. You go through the book of Acts and you see that Saul was the persecutor of Christians. And so, the gospel is spreading and the church is growing. And we and we find that in the book of Acts, but we also find Saul who's trying to stop what was known as the way, which is the way of Christ. [00:05:28]

And so he was there and he would do everything he could to say, "No, this Christianity thing is not supposed to spread." The message of this Jesus guy is not going to spread. Matter of fact, Stephen, when he was stoned, Steven was known as the first martyr, the first one to ever die for his faith. There is Saul standing there giving approval shaking his head saying yes this is good that guy is get being stopped and that's what we must do. Now, if you know the story, Saul is on his way to Samaria and he gets stopped and blinded by a great light of God. And God just asks Saul, "Why? Why do you persecute me? Why are you trying to stop my way? [00:06:01]

I come, you know, God's trying to communicate to him. I came I've come in Jesus and I come because I love you and you're not understanding all this." And so he sends Saul off and Saul spends a couple days blinded by this light and then his eyes are open and he comes to know who Jesus is and his life is changed and is now he has a new name and his name is Paul. And it's crazy to think that this guy who was trying to stop Christianity and he now gives his life to Christ now becomes a mouthpiece for the gospel. and not just a mouthpiece, but then he travels from town to town, village to village, city to city, preaching and teaching and establishing churches. [00:06:37]

And as he's doing that, one of the churches he goes to is in the city of Ephesus. And so, we're going to look at a Paul, a prayer of Paul that he prayed over the people of Ephesus. It's quite remarkable. If you get nothing out of this message, and this really isn't the main idea of the message, listen. God can do remarkable stuff to turn a guy around who was a persecutor of Christians trying to stop the spread of the gospel to now make him be a spreader of the gospel. God can take your life, no matter where you're at, and he can turn it around and make it new. He can take your life that you think is broken, that's messed up, or your friend's life who you say, "Oh my goodness, will they ever come to Christ?" [00:07:23]

He can do remarkable turnaround work. And that's what he did in the life of Paul, Saul, who now is Paul. And now Paul has written over half of the New Testament. And so we say, well, why are we going to study the Apostle Paul? Because the Apostle Paul wrote to churches from city to city to city. And he says, here's how you should pray. Here's how you should live. And so we can learn from him as he helped establish the church. And so the Bible that we read, half the New Testament is written by Paul empowered by the Holy Spirit. So in Ephesians chapter 1 is ro today. I encourage you to open your Bibles to that. And we're going to look at verses 15 and on. [00:07:59]

Paul's writing to the church where the where he established the church and he's moved on to another city, but he hears about their faith and he hears about what they're doing and the first thing he prays is a prayer of thankfulness. It's a heartfelt reaction. See, Paul pastored in that town, but he was not pastoring any longer. But he hears about their story of faith and he knew their struggles. He knew exactly where they're walking in. He knew the difficulties they were dealing with, the challenges they were having. This city was a city that was dominated by idol worship. They would try to turn anything they could into an idol. They'd melt gold, turn it into an idol. [00:08:59]

They'd find a rock, they turn it an idol. Let's worship that constantly in their culture. They're dealing with that. Where spiritual darkness was thick. And so this church that's believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is underneath spiritual darkness, underneath a heavy just um downside of Satan's work. and his heart is overflowing. Paul's heart is overflowing with gratitude because he hears that this little church is holding on in the name of Jesus and they're still preaching Jesus and they're still teaching the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus. And they're still telling other people, you don't need idol worship. You don't need this darkness. You don't need all this stuff in our culture. You need Jesus. [00:09:43]

And Paul's praying, thank you for staying faithful to the call. Thank you that you're still walking in Jesus. Thank you that you're staying strong. You think about it in a world where it's easy to drift into the culture. It it it's very similar today. We have all kinds of things that are calling for our times. All kinds of things that are idols. Now, we wouldn't dare say, "Oh, baseball has become an idol." But it has. I joke with one of my friends who gets coffee every single week. I said, "You got idol in in your coffee." Just a little joke. He holds his coffee up, right? We We have We have all of our idols. All of our crazy things that we go after. [00:10:23]

Our idol sometimes is sleeping in. Our our our idol sometimes is social media. Our idol is our television shows that we watch. Our idol, anything that you put before God is an idol. Now, we don't tend to want to classify that, but that's what it is. And so, our struggle is very real. And it's the same thing. and and and Paul's like, "Listen, I see you in your struggle. I see you in your battle. I see you in the dark culture." And they're stand against it. And so Paul's first move is not critique. His first move is celebration. I celebrate you because you're standing strong in faith. [00:11:04]

It's kind of like when you hear about a a student or someone maybe you poured into, somebody that you mentored at one time in your life and you hear that now they're mentoring and now they're pouring into somebody else. Or somebody that maybe you coached in some sport and now you see they're coaching and they're pouring into other people. Or or that adult child that despite the challenges as you as you raised them are now walking close with Jesus. those feelings of seeing somebody you invested your life in are now investing other people. Paul's getting that and Paul's seeing that in the church in Ephesus and he's like, "Praise God. Thank you, God. Thank you, Lord, that the that the church, the people in Ephesus are are doing well." [00:11:40]

And then it moves on and Paul goes from this thankful heart of faith and love that is alive and people are doing well. Paul moves from that celebration to making some requests for his fellow believers. And I think these are requests that we can pray not only for ourselves but for others for others who are walking in faith or for those who are not walking in faith. He prays for spiritual sight. Look at his request. Verse 17 and a little bit of 18. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious father may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know him better. [00:12:20]

No, not notice what Paul doesn't ask for. He doesn't pray and say, "God, Father, make their life easier." Could he have prayed that? Absolutely. Would it been a a a real sincere prayer? Yeah, Lord, they're underneath persecution and difficulty and hardship and idol worship and Lord, I want you to make their life easier. But no, he prays and he asks, "Lord, open their eyes. help them to see things the way that that you see them. This isn't a prayer for for just new glasses. He's saying, I want them to see differently. He wants them to have new eyesight. Like, take out the old eyes and put in new eyes. [00:13:01]

It's it's it's not just squinting. It's going beyond squinting. It's open your eyes wide open where you can see everything, but see it from the eyes of Jesus. See, I want us to learn to pray like Paul. Because when you pray like Paul, then you start to see like King Jesus. How important is that we see this world, this culture from the eyes of Jesus. How important is that we look at every single day that we walk in, as we go into work, as we're dealing with a marriage, as we're parenting our kids, as we're going to uh school, everything that we're doing. Could we walk through this world seeing like King Jesus? [00:13:41]

As we learn to pray like Paul, that's what we do. And Paul saying, "Open their eyes." Imagine if you're driving down the road, you're on a trip across the across the country and you and you're getting rain and you're getting dirt on your windshield and bugs are hitting your windshield. And we've all been there before. We're like, "Man, my windshield's filthy dirty. It's really hard to see out there." And you stop, you pull off to the gas station and you take the time, you clearing off all the bugs, you make the windshield shine like new. You get back in your car like, "Oh, now I'm seeing things I was never seen." That's the idea that Paul is praying. [00:14:19]

I want the church here to see things like they've never seen before. And here's why. When we see clearly, we live differently. When we see clearly with the eyes of Christ, we live differently in this world that walks against Christ. Th this world doesn't promote Christ. This world doesn't lift up Christ. Our culture is not for Christ. Everything is against Christ. And so, we want to be able to walk in a culture. We want to be able to see clearly. So we live differently. When we see like King Jesus, we live differently. When we recognize what's already ours in Christ, when we start to recognize who we are in Christ and what's ours in Christ, then we walk with confidence and we walk with peace and we walk with purpose, it's a whole new way to live. [00:14:47]

So what does Paul want the church of Ephesus and the church of Christ to see? He goes on, he starts to break this down. He says, "Let me pray very specifically. These are prayers we can pray for others. Lord, open the eyes of my husband. Lord, open the eyes of my wife. Lord, open the eyes of my co-workers. Lord, open the eyes of my neighbor. Lord, open the eyes of those who are in the church with me. Open the eyes of the people in my small group. Open open the eyes of people I'm mentoring or people I'm discip discipling. What does Paul want them to see? Well, Paul prays three specific prayers. He says, I want them to have the hope of the calling. [00:15:34]

I want you to know the hope to which he has called you. Not just any hope. Proverbs says hope deferred makes the heart sick. So in other words, if we don't have hope, then we're downcast. We're struggled. We're stressed. Life is difficult. But his hope and it's not just wishful thinking. That's not just, oh, I hope they're okay, or I hope they make it through the day. It it's a deep rooted confidence in the promises of God. Lord, he's he's praying, "Lord, I want them to have the hope that while they're in this world, even though they're not of this world and they're walking in this world, we want them to walk in the hope of who they are in Christ." [00:16:10]

When Paul says hope, he means something that's secure and something that's guaranteed that they would hold on to that type of truth. In Ephesians 2, Paul goes on and explains that a little bit when he's reminding them of the gospel and he says, "You were dead in your transgressions and sins." That word dead is so important. He's reminding the church in Ephesus. Listen, at one time you were dead. You walked in the ways of the world. You had no hope. You had no contentment. You did not have something to look forward to. He says, "You were without hope." And then he goes on and says, "But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions. [00:16:50]

It is by grace you have been saved." And so the Apostle Paul's like, "Listen, at one time you were dead, but now you've come to know Jesus and by his grace you've been saved." And so Paul prays for that hope. And then he moves into chapter two and he's reminding them, this is the hope that we talked about that God loves you that much and you've accepted his salvation. And so you have the hope of that grace. That's our hope that what was dead can live again. And we have to continually hold on to that hope. That that that what was broken or that what is broken can be made whole again. A broken relationship, it can be restored in Christ. [00:17:44]

That God's not finished with us yet. And I think as Paul prays, help them to hold on to the hope. He wants them to realize God's still working. God's still doing his work. Are you living with that kind of hope? Are we praying with that kind of hope? Are we praying that over other people? Lord, open their eyes. Give them the hope of Christ. Or are you letting fear, letting regret, letting disappointment, stress, challenges, all the things of life, are you letting it cloud your vision? So Paul said, "Hey, open their eyes. Give them hope to uncloud their vision." He also prays the riches of his glorious inheritance. [00:18:24]

What is he talking about? the riches of God's glorious inheritance. What is an inheritance that God would have? Because God owns it all. He has everything. G get this. This is so important. The God who owns everything sees you and me as his inheritance. Let me unpack that a little bit further. my kids. If if all goes well, someday when I go home to heaven, there will be a small nest egg saved up if I don't spend it all in a nursing home or wherever sickness. And Caleb and Luke and Lily Grace and our grandbabies will all get just a little piece of the inheritance. Now, they probably are thinking, "Well, someday we'll get some of dad's money." [00:18:55]

They don't know there's not a ton, but they're thinking that. We all tend to think someday my mom, you know, she doesn't spend at all. I think I'll probably get a little bit of mom's money. Well, I'll have hairs. We say, "Well, look for that." Listen, this is so much bigger than that. Mo most of us tend to think about God as tolerating us, but God's going, "You're my inheritance. I'm going to get you." God's looking forward to the day that all is made right and all is restored because we are his inheritance. In other words, he's looking forward to us being in heaven with him when things are made right. That that's how much he looks forward. [00:19:39]

And Paul wants the church to see that and wants us to understand that. See, a lot of us, we think of ourselves as like, well, maybe God puts up with me or, oh my goodness, how could God forgive my sin? Or how can he possibly love me? Or maybe he loves me, but boy, I'm kind of on the bottom of the list because I've not been the greatest child of his. Listen, God is looking forward to you. And and Paul says he delights in you. He's praying that they would understand that God delights. His inheritance he looks forward to. He's not reluctant of you. You're you're not some unwanted guest party. He's looking forward to the day that you're in heaven with him. [00:20:15]

Paul's saying, "Please don't forget that. Please don't forget how much he loves you." Imagine being a child of someone like Warren Buffett, someone who's filthy rich. Imagine being that child and that child is looking forward to the day when they receive the inheritance and how what an exciting day that will be when I get my millions or billions of dollars. God is looking forward to you more than even that. It It's so hard to even put into words, but it has nothing to do with money. Has everything to do with intimacy. Has everything to do with relationship. It has everything to do with eternity that God loves you that much. He can't wait for us to be in heaven with him. It's how excited he is. [00:20:56]

And Paul's praying that prayer and saying, "Don't forget about this. Don't forget that you are his inheritance. It's a communication of how much God loves you." And then finally, Paul wants us to see the incomparably great power for us who believe. See, this isn't just some raw power. It's resurrection power. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead. We celebrated the resurrection of Jesus last Sunday on Easter Sunday. That same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that we hold on to in our daily walk with Christ. And Paul prays that. Paul is praying, listen church, you got to see the immeasurable power of Christ. [00:21:36]

Let me just make this real real practical. Resurrection power means that we believe that get that God can redeem. What can he redeem? He can redeem the most broken relationships. He can redeem my relationship to him. He can redeem the broken marriage. He can redeem the broken relationship between prayer and child. He's a redeeming God. It's believing that God can bring peace into depression. It's believing God can bring peace into purpose. He can bring peace into your despair because he's a redeeming God. It's knowing that he can resurrect faith that feels flat. Sometimes our faith just kind of goes flatlined. Listen, do you believe he can resurrect it? [00:22:16]

Sometimes your faith, it can even feel like it's dead because it's been some years ago. Well, he could renew it and restore it. And Paul is praying that they would know the resurrection power of how God works. And it goes beyond just raising Jesus from the grave. But he takes the resurrection power. And he says, I'm even going to raise that up a little bit greater. And because it's not just resurrection power, it's ascension power. We know that Jesus rose from the grave after that. He wandered the earth for 40 days and then he ascends up to heaven. What kind of power does it take a man from the grave to put him back as a man and then take that man up to heaven? [00:22:56]

That's quite power. And God wants us to know the ascension power that Jesus isn't just alive. That now he's reigning with God in heaven side by side, seated at the right hand of God above every power and every name and every authority. And that's the God who we pray to. And Paul says, "Man, do you know the power?" And he's praying, "Open their eyes that they may have hope. Open their eyes they may know how much they're loved. Open their eyes that they know how much power they have. And keep them strong in their faith while we live on this broken world because this world is crazy broken." And it's been crazy broken. [00:23:36]

If you've been reading through the Bible reading with us in this journey this year, we're in the book of Isaiah and we just finished the Kings. And you cannot read through the Old Testament and not think this place has been nuts for a long time. This world's been off their rocker for a long time. Because when sin entered this world, it all broke and things continue broken. But Paul is reminding the church as we pray, we have hope and we are loved and we have power. So here's the question. What what are we praying for? What have you been praying for lately? Paul doesn't ask for easier circumstances, he prays for clearer vision. [00:24:21]

What if what if we prayed like that? What if we instead of praying, "God, fix this." And I got to say, there's probably not anything wrong with God, fix this. We want that. God, I've got this situation going on. I want you to fix it. But what if we pray, "God, help me to see what you're doing in the middle of it. Help me to see." And the these are real prayers because life is real. We had a couple walking out today and they're sharing about the journey of their son being in prison and they have a grandson that's now ended up in a court battle. That's real prayers. And you may say, "God, I want you to fix this, but Lord, I I need to see you in the middle of it because it may not get fixed in a way we think it should be fixed. So Lord, help me to see you." [00:24:55]

What if instead of asking for more stuff, we recognize the riches we already have? Lord, I want a bigger house. Lord, I want a nicer car. Lord, I want a better job. What about saying, Lord, if it's your will, I'd love to have that kind of stuff, but Lord, help me to just see the blessing and the riches that I have. Help me to already recognize how much you have bestowed upon me. What if instead of praying for escape? Get me out of this situation, Father. What if we started praying for eyes to see God's power at work? Lord, I'm in the middle of mess. Lord, life is difficult. Things are hard. Lord, I want to see you in the middle of all this. [00:25:40]

See, we don't need new glasses. We need new eyes. Because when we pray like Paul, we start to see this world like King Jesus. Reminds me of a story some shared some years ago about the man who was going blind. is after much prayer and also medical intervention he received surgery and his sight was restored and the weeks following he wasn't overjoyed he was actually overwhelmed he was overwhelmed because there was he said it was too bright there was too too many things he was seeing he was overwhelmed because there was too much movement and it was disorienting him he's like I'm not sure about this over time he starts to adjust his eyes start to adjust the light and the color and the things that he was seeing and he's interviewed about it. [00:26:13]

He said, "I didn't know how much I was missing until I could finally see." Didn't know how much he was missing. He could finally see. I wonder what spiritual insight will do for us. How much are we actually missing until we can finally see? See the way King Jesus wants us to see. Not see with our eyes, but see with new eyes. See with spiritual eyes. And that's my prayer for us in this series that we'll learn to pray like Paul so that we can see this world through the lens through the eyes of King Jesus. So when we interact with a difficult person, we're interacting with the eyes of King Jesus. [00:26:58]

When the boss calls you in the office and says, "I got to have a word with you and begins to rip you out uh rip you up one side down the other." All a suen you start to see them with the eyes of King Jesus. When you're at odds with your spouse and you want to hang your hang your spouse or you want to hurt your spouse or you want to yell at your spouse or let go on your spouse, all of a sudden you said, "No, I'm going to start seeing them with the eyes of King Jesus." When your child goes sideways or your child makes choices that are not God-honoring and you want to hurt that child or you want to punish that child in a way that you try to get their attention, no, I'm going to try to see them with the eyes of King Jesus. [00:27:33]

When a friend does something that hurts you or breaks your heart and you want to respond in a way that you go, I'm gonna get them back. No, you start seeing the eyes of King Jesus. When you're on social media and people put some post and you think, I'm going to go and reply to that post and share something about that post and you stop and you go, I want to see them the eyes of King Jesus. When someone sends you that email or that text message that hurts, that cuts right to the heart and you go, I want to reply. I'm reply right away. I want to set them straight. You stop, you go, no, I want to see them with the eyes of King Jesus. [00:28:05]

See, that's what Paul is doing here. Paul is saying we got to open our eyes so that we pray with hope and they see hope. So that we know love and they see love. So we know power and we walk in power. So today I want us to wrap up praying like Paul. Not for comfort but for clarity. Not for new circumstances but for new eyesight. [00:28:44]

Chatbot

  • I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Apr 29, 2025. Do you have any questions about it?

Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?