Ephesians

Do you find it easy to pray for people? It is easy to be stirred to pray for an immediate need (especially if we have personal experience of a dilemma), but often that peters out all too soon.

These verses are part of Paul's description of how he was constantly praying for the Ephesian church (Ephesians 1:15-21). Having given thanks for their faith and fellowship love (Ephesians 1:15), and asked Father God to reveal Himself to them more so that they might get to know Him better (Ephesians 1:17), Paul now prays that the Ephesian believers would develop good spiritual 'long sight'. In talking about the 'eyes of the heart', the Apostle is referring to our deep desires which set the agenda for our lives.

Paul had just prayed that the Ephesians will know God better (Ephesians 1:17) and be able to understand the glorious future for God’s people (Ephesians 1:18); also to know the extraordinary power God gives to His people so that they will arrive at the future He has planned for them (Ephesians 1:19a). Now Paul describes the magnitude and life giving nature of that power. It is the same power which God used in raising Jesus Christ from the dead, establishing Him as Lord of all.

The 1930s and 2008 global banking crises have reminded ordinary people that even the clever people in finance and government are not all-mighty.

"Yesterday's news is dead", said an editor. He was right. The normal dynamic of business life works in the same way - 'never mind yesterday, get on with tomorrow'.

Insolvency and bankruptcy is a terrible thing. Everything you have worked for, for a lifetime, has no value whatsoever.

In many workplaces, extra money is given as a bonus at the end of a year for exceptional work.

Every human success either stimulates pride at the achievement or gratitude for everybody's help.

The disciplines of engineering and art are intended to have radically different end points. Engineers produce function and artists induce emotion. However, in product design and architecture both are combined. It is the same with God's people. We are both functional and beautiful because the word 'handiwork' comes from the Greek word that gives us 'poem'. God has designed us to be fully functional in His Kingdom, and to bring much pleasure and glory to Him.

'Inclusive' is supposed to be a socially good word with a sort of moral 'ought to' about it. Yet, somehow, many are not welcome because people simply choose their own kind in preference to others.