Knowing hope – Sunday 22nd November 2015- Month of prayer and giving guide

‘I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. …’ (Ephesians 1:18-19)

As we saw yesterday, Paul prayed that the ‘eyes of their heart may be enlightened’; meaning that they be enabled to see truth, and that it becomes a part of their ‘heart’- the source of all passion and action.

Paul reveals three things that he prays would get into their hearts: 

i) Firstly, that they ‘know the hope to which he has called you’

ii) Secondly, that they know about ‘the riches of glorious inheritance’, 

iii) Thirdly, that they know ‘his incomparably great power for us who believe’. 

We will focus on the first today.

It is vital that Christians know that they are going to heaven, will receive a new body (when Jesus returns), and will live with Him forever in a new creation. We will experience the glory of God and our own personal glorification like never before.

Paul has already said something about this in Ephesians 1:13-14,

‘When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.’

This is the ‘hope to which He has called you’. It’s a hope that cannot be taken from you because God has called you to it! 

Paul speaks of the confidence that we are to have in Romans 5:2,

‘Through whom (Jesus) we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.’

We ‘boast’ in it, could translate this word as ‘rejoice in it’.

God’s word and the Holy Spirit’s presence tell us of this future glory.

Paul shows us that it is vital that we keep praying for a renewing and increase in the revelation given by the Holy Spirit.

You may want to pray something like this,

“Father, I thank you and am so excited about my future glory with you. Give me greater sight, by the Spirit, to see this future and live in light of that future. Help me to use my gifts and wealth in light of eternity. Amen”