The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 2:8-10 (day six).

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. Ephesians 2:1 (NLT)

Once is a pregnant word, full of history yet firmly in the present.  It is a whole story wrapped up in one word. In the case of Ephesians 2:1-10, it is the beginning of the greatest story ever told.

The story of Ephesians 2:1-10 is the greatest story ever told because of its divine intervention. The ending is so improbable that you would never have guessed it if you didn’t already know it. The distance between ‘once’ and the end is so vast that only an act of God could have connected the two.

Once is the start of our story, too. The only reason we have a “once” in our story is because God gave us a new present with a future promise in Christ. Does that not put a smile on your face?

Be thankful for divine interventions that completely and impossibly change our trajectory!

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 2:8-10 (day five). Ever get “cabin fever” or go “stir crazy”? (remember  snowmageddon) The natural response is restlessness and frustration. My response is often to just get out or get away and do something. It’s a natural tendency to want to immediately “do something”or “do anything”. Ever thought or said those words? Some times we relate to salvation and faith the same way, “I’ve got to do something”.  Paul says no.  Clearly. Succinctly. Not by works (there’s nothing you can do for your salvation). But then, he goes on to say we were created in Christ to do good works.  Confused?  Frustrated? The clarity comes when you examine the “good works”. Our tendency is think, “I need to do something/anything” (works). But the scriptures are teaching us to think and trust, “I need to patiently wait and discover the things God has for me to do” (good works vs. 10). Sometimes waiting/discovering what God has and desires for us to do is the work. It’s just as hard and is as much work as actually doing.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 2:8-10 (day four)

Many of us would say that when we think back to our moment of salvation, that initial surrender to the Lord, we knew that it was purely a gift of God’s grace and not something we could have achieved on our own. We might have even gotten to that moment of surrender because we had tried to find salvation through our own efforts, and kept coming up empty. We couldn’t have somehow earned or climbed the ladder to salvation, rather it was by God’s grace through our faith in Christ.

But as we continue in our journey of faith, we can so easily forget this. I knew at the moment of my salvation that I was receiving an unearned gift of God’s grace, but as I continue on this journey of working out my salvation, I so easily fall into the trap of thinking that I can somehow climb the ladder of sanctification on my own, or that if I just work hard enough I can look more like Jesus. It’s tempting to tell God, “Thanks, I’ll take it from here.”

While Paul makes it clear that we are meant to respond to God’s grace with good works, Scripture lovingly repeats that is only through God’s grace that we have been saved, and only through God’s grace that we continue to grow closer to him. Continually accept God’s free gift of grace, friends. It is sure and steadfast.

 

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 2:8-10 (day three)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

There is nothing so disheartening as to experience rejection, with its accompanying message that you aren’t good enough, lovely enough, desirable enough, important enough, valuable enough for inclusion in a family or a friendship or a project or an assignment or an adventure. When others have somehow found the key to being a person of worth and it seems you’re relegated to the status of also-ran, that’s lonely. Christ broke through that system. No longer will people lord their significance over you and look down on your lesser status. The Lord himself — not any worldly system — has declared you treasured. Enough said.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 2:8-10 (day two) 

For we are His workmanship vs. 10a

I live in a household of crafters. If that sounds like the beginning of some sort of support group meeting, well so be it. As my girls have grown there is no such thing as unwanted cardboard, ribbon, boxes, or bags. All will receive a second, third, or infinite number of lives in new shapes and forms. Indeed, there is no limit to what your average Amazon delivery box can become in the hands of my daughters. When I see these “new creations” I marvel at how they can see the potential in cardboard. I have witnessed robots, record players, cars of various sizes and designs emerge from what I consider recycle bin fodder. Yet they see something that no one else can. They pour themselves into the creation, giving of themselves along the way to craft a wondrous new thing. This is their workmanship.

God does nothing less, and infinitely more with each of us. We are shaped and formed by him to be the creation that he intends. One that has purpose and hope in the Kingdom of God. We bear the marks of his workmanship, and each of us can look at who we are in Christ and recognize his design.

Those pieces of cardboard are loved and cherished by my girls, how much more are you loved by Jesus?

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:15-23 (day four)

Having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus… [I] do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers. Ephesians 1:16

Who are the people in your life that you are thankful for?

Paul, as in many of his letters, expresses thanks for the believers who are living boldly for Christ. It was their faith that really stood out to Him. We do not know the specifics of what these faith moments were. He does reference their love for others,  but whatever it was, it was enough to bring Paul encouragement while he was in prison. It would have been easy for Paul to be bitter and negative in his current position, but instead, he chose to be thankful. Thankfulness is not only uplifting to the receivers, but it molds the outlook of the givers.

If you find yourself in a constant state of negativity (we all have those moments), work to find the things and people you are thankful for, and go out of your way to let them know. It will be uplifting to you both!

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:15-23(day six)

Yesterday’s discovery must be sought anew today. Yesterday’s rich are today’s poor, and only as the poor will they become rich again. –Karl Barth, The Epistle to the Ephesians

We never graduate from the blessings in Ephesians 1:3-14; we never move onto something more or more profound or more fulfilling. Every day, we return to the deep, satisfying well of what God accomplished in Christ.

This is how Paul prays for the church (for us): that we would see and know to our bones that God has already provided all we need to grow up in Jesus, to experience his power. We have only to return to it each day.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:15-23(day five) “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”

When Paul prays for the Ephesians, first and foremost, he wants them to be “closer” (my word) to God. Other translations will say “know Him better” or “knowing Him personally”. What Paul believes is that if these faithful followers of Christ can get closer to God (know him better or more personally/intimately) it will change how they see things (eyes of your heart). It will lift their attention and focus from their current circumstances to the deeper and eternal realities that have already been set in place. Remember Paul is in prison (circumstance), but the eyes of his heart is helping him see something longer and larger going on in him and around him. What they (we) need, is to see the world (including circumstances) the way God sees it- which is the way it really is (hope, riches, power). And drawing closer to God makes that possible- even in prison.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:15-23 (day three)

“…having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know… what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe…” v. 18-19

We sing many worship songs and hymns about God opening our eyes to Him and to His heavenly realm. Here, in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul lets them know that he was praying exactly that for them, all those years ago. This invisible, spiritual realm has been around since the beginning of time, yet we so often forget that it is there. Paul’s letter begins with his usual greetings and “I’m thankful for you’s”, but he jumps straight into a reminder that there is more to this life than what they (and we) physically see. He prayed for them to know the immeasurable power of God living in them as believers.

Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the dark, spiritual forces of this world (Ephesians 6:12). But take heart, the Power that defeated sin, death, and those dark, spiritual forces lives inside us if we are believers. Paul reminded the Ephesians of that all-important truth, and he reminds us as well. As you go through your day today and the rest of your week, I pray that you may know the immeasurable greatness of his power living inside you helping you fight back against the dark, spiritual forces of this world.

As Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)