Sharing good news of great joy to all people,
Elation Church. Week number six in our series
of powerful prayer. It almost ended last week,
but it couldn't end last week. We have at least
one more, maybe two more weeks before we finish
this series on powerful prayer. And for us to
say that there is a powerful prayer, that means
that there's probably a... prayer that's not
very powerful, right? How many of you have ever
prayed and your prayer wasn't answered? The Bible
says an effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous
man avails much. And avails much means it produces
wonderful results. Hello? Somebody smile. Don't
frown at me when I'm preaching good. If we're
praying powerful prayers, we can expect wonderful
results. I'm going to say it again until more
than my son says amen. If we pray powerful prayers,
we can expect wonderful results. Thank you. I
was going to have to pull out my amen button
again. Church gave me an amen button a couple
of years for my birthday. It has them saying
amen on it. Sometimes I've got to press my own
amen button to get amen. But anyway, powerful
prayer. Let's have a quick recap. How many of
you know recaps are okay? Because I'm sure nobody
in this room, no one in this room, could give
me all this information off the top of their
head. Unless they've got one of them photogenic,
no it's not photogenic, photographic memories.
I was seeing if you were listening. Quick recap.
Here we go. It's very quick. If you need more
information on this, you got to go to the podcast
or to the YouTube channel and listen to these
sermons again. Because I'm going to try my best
not to re -preach every one of them, which is
hard sometimes. We started with the Lord's Prayer.
The disciples asked Jesus, teach us to pray.
And these are the things he said after they asked
him to teach them to pray. Here's what Jesus
said. When you pray, don't babble on and on as
the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are
answered merely by repeating their words again
and again. That tells us what powerful prayer
is not. Powerful prayer is not mindless, meaningless
repetition. Who's been guilty of that before?
We've got a memorized prayer, and you think it's
a good time to pray, so you just rip off that
memorized prayer, not even considering the words
that you're saying. You just think you need to
pull off something spiritual, right? So, you
say, twinkle, twinkle, little star. Don't even
think about what you're talking about. So, powerful
prayer is not mindless, meaningless repetition.
I'm going to go ahead and throw this out there.
That can even be the Lord's Prayer, which is
an amazing prayer. But if all you're doing is
ripping it off to do something spiritual, don't
even do it. Don't even do it. Jesus said, don't
be like that. Everybody say, don't be like that.
Don't be like that, for your Father knows exactly
what you need, even before you ask Him. This
tells us something else that powerful prayer
is not. Powerful prayer is not begging God to
do what you want him to do. I don't know how
many years of my life that I thought prayer was
me figuring out what I wanted and then me begging
God to give me what I wanted. So I'm just like,
God, give me this, give me this, give me this,
give me this. I want you to do this. I want you
to do that. I want you to do this. And God, you
know, follow me around today. Be with me today.
That's all, folks. Or amen, whichever one you
want. That's it. So powerful prayer is not just
begging God for what you want Him to do. Powerful
prayer is not talking at God. It's talking with
God. Everybody say, talking with God. We're in
a relationship with the living God, so we talk
with him. We don't just talk at him. What kind
of communication and relationship would you have
with someone if all you did was talk at them
the whole time and never talk with them? Would
you have a relationship? Not a very good one.
Jesus said, don't do those things. And then he
said, pray like this. Pray like this. The Lord's
Prayer is a model, a pattern, a guide for powerful
prayer. It's not something to memorize and rip
off. It's a model. It's a model. He said, start
out by saying, our Father in heaven, may your
name be kept holy. When we looked at that, it
was like. Father, you're the one who gives me
life. You're the one who gives me eternal life.
You're the one who provides me abundant life
in your kingdom. God, you are the life giver.
You are my father. And God, your name is special
to me. Your name is so special to me. And you
might even want to, you know, Remind yourself
and proclaim who he is in the request that you're
bringing to him. I need to say that again? If
his name is special to you, then you need to
remind yourself of his name, who he is, his identity,
right? His activity, the relationship that you
have with him, which was father. That's what
I started with, but if you need peace, does anyone
need peace every once in a while? See, this is
a beggar's prayer. Oh, God, I need peace. Please
give me peace. God, I'm just so messed up. I'm
torn up. I'm just going through this terrible
time. God, please, please, please give me peace.
Give me peace. That's a beggar's prayer. A beggar's
prayer. A powerful prayer for peace would be
like this. After we acknowledge him as father
and the life giver and the one who, I mean, he's
God, right? And he's daddy at the same time.
And then we say, God, you are Yahweh Shalom.
His name is special to me. Who he is, what he
does, it's special to me. Your name, God. is
Yahweh Shalom. God, you are my peace. You see
how we're turning from a beggar's prayer to a
powerful prayer? Hello? Jesus, you told me that
the peace you give me is different than the world's
peace. So the peace that I have in you is not
based on what's going on around me. It's based
on who you are and what you have made available
to me, what you have given me. That's a powerful
prayer. When his name becomes special to you.
May your kingdom come soon. May your will be
done on earth as it is in heaven. How many of
you can look around at the world today and see
that the will of God is not being done in the
earth? All a mess. Because if the will of God
is being done in the earth, then heaven is going
to be just like it is here. Who's expecting heaven
to be a different place than here? Right? So,
When he says this, he's telling us to begin to
declare heavenly realities. The things of God
that are going on in the heaven. And we're declaring
those things into our world, into our lives.
And we're seeing those things with our spiritual
eyes. Powerful prayer is declaring heavenly realities.
into our temporal, physical realm. Your kingdom
come. Your will be done. Right? We're calling
for the supernatural, wonderful things of heaven
to come into our existence and into our lives.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done. on earth
as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we
need. This is not begging God for provision.
It's appropriating. Because when we looked at
it in the Greek, it's like it didn't say it the
same way as it did in this English translation.
So we found out that powerful prayer is based
on appropriating. Who we are and what we have
in Christ. See, God has already promised. Look
at the person beside you and tell them, God's
already promised. God's already promised. Has
he not promised to take care of you? Is he not
a good shepherd? God, you are my good shepherd.
That means I shall not want. Hello? Come on,
somebody. Your name is special to me, God. You
are my shepherd. You are Yahweh Jireh, my provider.
You are El Shaddai. You are more than enough.
So powerful prayer is based on appropriating
who we are and what we have in Him. And quickly,
I want you to think of a debit card. You got
a debit card. There's money in your bank account.
You've got a debit card, but then you go out
to eat, and then you tap the machine, and all
of a sudden, bleep! Money that you've never seen
goes from somewhere that you don't even know
where it is, and it appears into the machines
at that restaurant. Think of it the same way
in declaring heavenly realities, right? In appropriating.
What God has already promised. He's already promised
it. He's already given it to you. We're not beggars.
Look to the person beside you and tell them,
I'm not a beggar. I'm not a beggar. I'm the child
of the living God. I'm not a beggar. I had to
preach myself happy. Verse 12. And forgive us
our sins. As, everybody say as. When we looked
at this, this was powerful too. God, I want you
to forgive me just like I forgive everybody else
who did me wrong. Hello? Hello? Do we want God
to forgive us like we forgive other people? You
do? Hope you got a short list. Here's what that
reminds us. If we're living in unforgiveness
and bitterness, you know what? It will disconnect
our prayers from the power of effectiveness.
So Jesus is saying, you better check your heart
when you come to me, talking to me, asking me
for something. You better check your heart. Because
if you're harboring all this bitterness and unforgiveness,
I can't help you. Because here's what he said.
He says, I've forgiven you. And his command,
not his suggestion, but his command is for us
to forgive everybody else just like he forgave
us. Hallelujah. It's good preaching. Even if
it's challenging, it's good preaching. I don't
want just my ears to be tickled today. I don't
want my ears to be tickled every time I come.
I want to be challenged to come up higher, just
like God wants me to come up higher. I want to
be challenged to come up higher. And don't let
us yield to temptation. But rescue us from the
evil one. That was last week. Don't let us yield
to temptation. Everybody say, God is not the
tempter. God is the deliverer. He is the rescuer.
Hello? So powerful prayer proclaims our victory
over temptation and our deliverance from evil
that we now have in Christ. Everybody say, in
Christ. That's what we have in Christ. Since
powerful prayer is declaring the realities of
heaven and appropriating what is ours in Christ
already, what we already have, how important
is it for us to know what heavenly realities
are? Is that important? How important is it for
us to know? who we are in Christ, and what we
have in Christ. If that's the only way we can
pray powerfully, then we need to know these things.
Some of you are thinking too hard. You can go
ahead and smile, and I can still see the smoke
coming out of your ears. It's okay. It's okay.
But I want to tell you this today. There's a
big difference between simply knowing information,
because we've handed out a little card that says
who I am in Christ and what I have in Christ.
So there's a big difference between simply being
aware of the information and knowing. I'm going
to say that again. There's a big difference.
Between just being exposed to the information
and even having a copy of the information and
knowing it. Listen to me. The way we're going
to know it is through relationship. The way we're
going to know it is through revelation. The way
we're going to know it is through experience.
That's how we're going to really know it. That's
how we're going to be established in it. What
God has already done for us and already made
available to us and who we are in Christ, we
have to be established in it, not just know the
facts about it. I mean, you can know the facts
about salvation, but until the Holy Spirit causes
it to come alive, you're not born again. Can
you agree with me, Jeff, from your testimony?
You knew all the information, didn't you? Did
I tell you anything that you'd never heard before?
But all of a sudden, it became revelation. Right?
That's it. It's like... And now you know by experience.
Now you know by relationship. But it started
out with revelation. Is everybody with me? Now
we talk about not walking by sight and walking
by faith a lot. Don't we? We sing about it. We
talk about it. Right? But guess what? Your spirit
has senses too. What we're talking about when
we say I walk by faith and not by sight, we're
talking about our soulish sight senses. Our flesh
senses. But our spirit has senses too. So there's
power in spiritual sight. Back to Jeff. All of
a sudden, you had a revelation. You had a spiritual
sight. Of God's love for you. Of God's, Jesus'
sacrifice on the cross for you. All of a sudden
it went from knowing in your thoughts to knowing
in your spirit. You didn't see it with your eyes,
you saw it with your spirit. So there's power
in spiritual sight. Here's what we've got to
get. We can understand these things when it comes
to salvation, but then we just close the door
on that and don't apply it to any other spiritual
thing. Most of the time. Oh, had spiritual sight
to become saved, the truth of God came alive
to a level that I received Him by faith. I received
His grace gifts by faith. But then we think that
after that, we're just on our own until we get
to heaven one day. Just got to do the best we
can until we get to heaven one day. Look to the
person beside you and say, wrong. It works the
same way. Works the same way. So the power of
spiritual sight is revelation and insight. By
your spirit. We are a spirit. We have a soul.
We live in a body. Has anyone ever got up early
enough to see a sunrise? I've seen sunrises all
over the place. I like it when I prepare to get
up for a sunrise instead of just can't sleep
and see the sunrise. You know, I'm so tired.
I'm told the sun come up. No, but I have prepared.
to go see a sunrise. When we lived at Myrtle
Beach, we went out there a lot, especially every
Easter Sunday morning. We had a sunrise service,
right? So we'd go set up sound and all this stuff
before the sun even came up, in the pitch dark,
getting ready for people to come. We'd have 400
or 500 people come out for our Easter sunrise
service. And here's what I want you to think
about. I'm at the beach, and you know, I can't
see much. There's some street lights around,
so I can see a little bit, right? But as I'm
out there, my eyes begin to adjust. I can see
a little bit more, but I still can't see a lot
of detail, right? But as the sun comes up, all
of a sudden, I begin to see more and more detail
as the sun comes up. Are you with me? Instead
of just seeing like a block of sand and a block
of water, all of a sudden, I start seeing yesterday's
footprints in the sand. I start seeing shells
near the water. I start seeing waves. More and
more is revealed to me. Everybody say revealed.
More and more is revealed to me. As more light
is shed on what I'm looking at. You know? I've
seen the same thing in the mountains. Have you
ever seen the sun rise in the mountains? You're
kind of up on a mountain and it's dark, you know?
And then all of a sudden, you begin to see. More
and more and more. I'll never forget standing
on the rim of the Grand Canyon. I wasn't there
at daybreak, but as the light moved, has anyone
ever been to the Grand Canyon and stood there
and looked at it a while? Doesn't it look totally
different? Like every 15 minutes, it's like,
this is amazing. All these different colors are
revealed. Right? All these different things that
you were standing there looking at the same thing.
Hello, somebody. You're looking at the same thing,
but more and more is revealed. If you knew where
I was going, you'd get happy. We're going back
to Ephesians 1. I've shared this in other sermons,
very briefly in other sermons. I've shared about
the importance of Ephesians 1, verses 15 through
23. But I've never preached on it. We're just
now getting to the preaching, by the way. All
that was introduction and getting you ready.
Look to the person beside you and tell them,
listen fast. You've got to listen fast. This
is Paul writing to the Christians in Ephesus.
Ever since I first heard of your strong faith
in the Lord Jesus and your love for God's people
everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for
you. I pray for you constantly. Now what comes
next is a powerful prayer. You can look at the
Lord's Prayer, and you can look at this prayer,
and you can see that Paul is praying for heavenly
realities. He's praying that what they have and
who they are in Christ will be appropriated to
them, that they will have revelation from God,
from the Holy Spirit, shining His light on it,
so that they will know it more and more and more
and more. And listen. Even if you know it a little
bit, there's always more. Look to the person
beside you and tell them there's always more.
Always more. Always more revelation is available.
Always more. Just like looking at the Grand Canyon.
Always more. And this is a powerful prayer that
will help you and me pray more powerfully. Here's
this prayer. Pray for you constantly. Asking
God. The glorious father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To give you spiritual wisdom. Everybody say wisdom.
And insight. Everybody say insight. Go ahead
and say revelation. Because in some versions
it's translated revelation. We'll look at the
Greek words in just a minute. Of what those two
words are. So I'm asking God. He's a glorious
father. Do you hear that his name is special
to Paul? Glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that
you might grow in your knowledge of God. Look
to the person beside you and tell them, you still
have room to grow. Still have room to grow. No
one has maxed it out. You have not maxed it out.
We all have room to grow. Grow in our knowledge
of God. See, Paul begins his prayer not focusing
on power or authority, even though we're getting
to that, but with relationship. God, let them
see. Let them see. Just like the prophet said
to the servant when the servant was all messed
up and torn up, they were surrounded, thought
they were going to die. And the prophet said,
we're not going to die. There's more with us
than against us. And the servant went outside
and he said, all I see is a bunch of cherries.
All I see is a bunch of enemy army surrounding
us. We're outnumbered, we're surrounded. And
what did the prophet say? God, open his eyes.
Open his eyes. Give him some revelation. You
see, I've already got this. I know this. I am
established in this, that there's more with me
than against me. Open his eyes. And then he walked
back outside and looked. He's like, there's angels
and fire and chariots and whoo. I'm not scared
anymore. The goal of Revelation is not just information.
See, we can take revelation and try to turn it
into information. But the goal, the ultimate
goal of revelation is the intimacy of knowing
God personally, the intimacy of knowing Him experientially.
That's the purpose. That's the bottom line. It's
not just to get what you want through this revelation.
It's about intimacy with God. That word wisdom,
Paul says, give them wisdom. That means give
them a divine perspective. Let them see what
they're looking at like you see it. A divine
perspective. Boy, we need some divine perspective.
In our everyday lives, we need God's perspective.
We need God's perspective. I need God's perspective.
Because so many times I get in my own human brain,
my carnal thinking, like we talked about at Life
Group. I just get into my own brain, my own thoughts.
And they become more powerful to me than the
thoughts of the Spirit. What? what I have seen
with my spirit. This is so good. If it don't
bless you, it don't matter because it's already
blessed me and it's blessing me again right now.
But just like, just like the prophet, I'm praying
that you're seeing it too. I want you to see
it. So wisdom is us having a divine perspective.
Revelation, there's a Greek word for that, is
a divine unveiling. Because here's the deal.
Everything you need is already yours in Christ.
And a lot of times we don't see it. We don't
see it. God wants us to see it. He wants us to
see it. He wants us to see his perspective on
our everyday life. He wants us to see the divine
unveiling, his unveiling, because... This is
not going to just come to you just like... That
would be like it going from just before sunrise
to noon in a split second. And that's not the
way it happens. Revelation comes, and then more
revelation comes, and then more revelation comes,
and there's no end. We need to go from here to
here. Revelation is a divine unveiling in policy.
God give them a divine unveiling. Let them see
it. Let them see what they're going through today.
They were going through some serious issues.
Let them see it from your perspective. Let who
they are and what they have in Christ be unveiled
a little bit more for them. It's not that God
is holding out, but we have to seek if we're
going to find. I'll say that again. We're going
to have to seek if we're going to find. We're
not going to stumble over revelation. I'm going
to have to listen to this again. Verse 18. I
pray that your hearts... Everybody say spirit.
I pray that, it's not talking about the organ
that pumps your blood around your body. I pray
that your hearts will be flooded with light so
that you can understand the covenant hope he
has given. He's already given you covenant hope
so that you can understand, so that you can take
hold of the covenant hope he has given to those
he called his holy people. Look to the person
beside you and tell them, I'm a holy people.
When your eyes are open to who God is, your heart
becomes filled with hope in what God has promised
and in what he has already made available to
us. Hope isn't wishful thinking. I've shared
this so many times. Word hope in the New Testament
is not a wish, so hope, like I hope it don't
rain tomorrow. The Greek word for hope is elpo,
E -L -P -O, in the English rendering, in our
phonetic, what is it, syroph, whatever, our alphabet.
It's elpo, E -L -P -O, and it means to expect
with confidence. And to anticipate with pleasure.
To expect with confidence and to anticipate with
pleasure. So the hope that we have in God is
a confident hope. We can stand in confident expectation
to receive what he has already made available
to us. To step into who he has called us to be,
who we are in him. It's a covenant expectation.
Go ahead and get happy about it. Look at the
person beside you and say, go ahead and get happy
about it. Because we're supposed to anticipate
the fulfillment. Anticipate, right? We can anticipate
it with joy and expectation. With pleasure. The
definition says. So it's hope that keeps us steady
when life feels uncertain. Hope, the hope of
his calling reminds us of something. God didn't
save us from something just to save us from something.
We are called. We're the called out ones. He
called us to something. When you feel discouraged
or forgotten, remind yourself, God called me.
I belong to him. He's not finished with me. This
story doesn't end today with what I'm facing
today. It doesn't end today. My story isn't over.
Because I have a confident expectation in what
God has said. And what God has said is bigger
than what I'm facing. That's the revelation that
we need. That what God has said is bigger than
what I'm facing today. Hebrews 6, 19. Hope is
a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.
It leads us through the curtain into God's inner
sanctuary. You know what curtain he's talking
about? He's not talking about your bedroom curtain.
He's talking about the curtain from the tabernacle.
It was the curtain that only the priest could
go through once a year to offer the sacrifice.
It was going into where what they called the
Holy of Holies, where the ark, the manifested
presence of God was during the Old Testament
times. And you know what? I want you to get this
picture. I want you to get this revelation. Your
genuine hope, your biblical hope, not hope so
hope, but your confident expectation in what
God has given you and what God has provided for
you and who you are, your confident hope in that,
just imagine that there's a rope or a chain going
from your spirit To the real, not just the symbol
of the Holy of Holies, but the real Holy of Holies
in heaven. And that's where you're tied off.
You're not tied off to this earth. You're tied
off to the very throne room of eternity in the
real Holy of Holies. That's where your hope is
anchored. If it's just anchored in your mind,
in your human mind, in your brain, then good
luck. That's not where it's anchored. Hope is
the anchor of your soul. I need to say spirit
there. Not just your mind, will, and emotions,
but your spirit. Hope is the anchor of your spirit.
It anchors your spirit to the Holy of Holies,
the real Holy of Holies in heaven. So hold on
tightly to hope. Don't be quick to give up hope.
Verse 18. Everybody say revelation. I've already
read this, but it has another little part at
the end of it. I pray that your hearts will be
flooded with light so that you can understand
the confident hope He has given to those He called.
his holy people, who are his rich and glorious
inheritance. Now, if you got different versions,
you can see different translations. We're going
to cover both of them because I believe they're
both equally true. We have an inheritance in
Christ. Talked about it. Life group this week.
It's in Romans 8. Go look at it. We are joint
heirs with Jesus. We are equal heirs with Jesus.
Give us revelation, God. We are joint heirs with
Christ. Everything that he has, we have. That's
what it means to be a joint heir. Everything
he has, we have. Just to go back to my old example,
do you think Jesus has peace? Hello? Do you think
Jesus ever stands to the Father in heaven and
say, what are we going to do, God? What are we
going to do, Father? What are we going to do?
It's chaos. I don't know. I don't think we're
going to make it, Father. You think He ever gets
caught up in this loop? No. So if He has peace,
then I have peace. If he has joy, I have joy.
If he has love, I have love. Because everything
he came to this earth to accomplish, he didn't
accomplish it for himself. He already had it.
He accomplished it for us. You can also see it
this way. You are valuable. You're so valuable
that God calls you his inheritance. He provides
us an inheritance. An inheritance, you normally
don't get that until somebody dies, right? I
just want to remind you, Jesus died on the cross.
So the inheritance is yours. Now. Not one day
in glory. Hallelujah. It's your inheritance now.
You are God's treasure. If God had a wallet,
your picture would be in it. You're his treasure.
The Bible says you are the apple of his eye.
You are his prized possession. He purchased you
at the greatest price that has ever been paid
for anything in all of history. And that's the
blood of Christ. That's what he thinks about
your worth. He thinks you're worth the blood
of Jesus. Because that's what he paid for you.
So you are his inheritance. And we have an inheritance.
At the same time, listen, we need to stop disqualifying
ourselves. It's easy for us to do because if
we mess up, we begin to disqualify ourselves.
Oh, I'm disqualified from God's love. I'm disqualified
from... What God has made of it, I'm disqualified
from that because of what I've done. Listen,
you are not a disappointment to God. He delights
in you. And get this, you, everybody say, I am.
You are a part of his eternal plan and pleasure.
Verse 19. Look to the person beside you and say,
listen faster. I also pray that you will understand.
Everybody say revelation. Also pray that you
will understand the incredible greatness of God's
power for us. I can't tell you how many times
I read this and I was thinking, I know God has...
incredibly great power, right? How many of you
think God is omnipotent? He is all powerful.
Well, Paul is praying that they will understand
the incredible greatness of God's power that
is for us who believe in him. This power that
he's talking about and that he's praying about.
This power is the same mighty power that raised
Christ from the dead and seated him in the place
of honor at the right hand of God, honor at God's
right hand in the heavenly realms. And the Holy
Spirit is telling us that that power is for us.
Same power that raised Christ from the dead now
lives in you. God's great power is for us who
believe. It's not distant from us in heaven.
No, it's for us. It's working in us. God wants
to work his power through us. It's for us. The
power isn't just potential energy. It's resurrection
power. It's resurrection energy. Think of an
outlet. You got outlets in your house. The power
is always available. What am I saying? The incredibly
great power of God that raised Christ from the
dead is always available. And the more revelation
we receive, the more we can see in our lives.
Power is always available, but you have to plug
into it. You have to draw from it. And you draw
from it with powerful prayer. Many Christians
live unplugged. They have access, but they have
no awareness. They have no revelation. You got
to seek to find. And when you get revelation
of this, you can move to the point where in Christ
you can be powerful instead of being pitiful.
We need to start speaking this truth over our
lives. The same power that raised Jesus is alive
in me. Would anybody dare say that? Not just
saying it like you found some new information,
but saying it like I just got some revelation.
Let's say it. One, two, three. The same power.
That raised Jesus. Is alive in me. Let's say
it again. The same power that raised Jesus. Is
alive in me. And even. Listen. I'm not telling
you to not put your words in agreement with God.
Because if you will continue to put your words
in agreement with God. Hearing and hearing and
hearing. That's how you. search to find, and
all of a sudden one day, it won't just be information
anymore. You can know it. The first time you
say it, it might just be information. But through
saying it and through revelation, you can know
it. See, we don't pray for more power. We pray
for greater insight and revelation of the power
already within us. God's in us. We're the temple
of the Holy Spirit. All the power of God is in
us. It's not out in heaven somewhere. He's connected
with our spirit. And this is the power that will
give you victory over all fear. Victory over
all sin. Victory over all spiritual opposition.
That same power that raised Christ from the dead.
And Paul is praying for those Christians in Ephesus.
He's saying, let them see it, God. Let them see
it. Let them see it. Let them see it. They might
have heard it before, but let them see it. Verse
21. Now, everybody say Jesus. Now he is far above
any ruler or authority or power or leader or
anything else. Not only in this world, but also
in the world to come. God has put all things.
Everybody say all things. Even what you're dealing
with. God has put all things under the authority
of Christ. God has made Jesus head over all things
for Jesus' benefit. No, you better be listening.
God has done all that for the benefit of the
church. For the benefit of the church. Church
is not talking about a building. It's not talking
about organization. It's talking about the called
out ones. Look to the person beside you and tell
them, I'm a called out one. So Jesus is far above
everything in authority for my benefit. Give
us revelation. Let us see it. And the church
is his body. It is made full and complete by
Christ who fills all things everywhere with himself.
I'm telling you. This is a powerful prayer. How
many of you would agree this is a powerful prayer?
This is declaring revelation for heavenly realities.
Christ is the head. We are his body. The body
always takes direction and identity from the
head. That's why we're Christians. We identify
with Christ. We are in Christ. We are now the
visible expression of the invisible Christ on
earth. Jesus isn't walking around anymore. You're
walking around. And the glory of God is in you.
The power of God is in you. If you're in Christ,
hello? And our calling is not just to receive
revelation, just for me and my family and my
church. It's not just about me, me, me, me. Our
calling is not just to receive revelation, but
also to reveal Christ. to the world. Look to
the person beside you and tell them, let him
out. Let him out. We're supposed to have a river
of life flowing out of us. Let him out. Paul
didn't pray for God to give the Ephesians something
new. When I first looked at this prayer as a
prayer, I was thinking, well, you know, Paul
was praying for this stuff, this new stuff. But
as I dug in this week to study, I found out that
he wasn't praying for God to give the Ephesians
something new. He's praying that they would see
what was already theirs in Christ. There's nothing
new. Just like, get this, just like it was already
theirs, everything in that prayer is already
yours. So, when we adopt this prayer, we're not
praying for God to give us something new. We're
asking God to give us wisdom, revelation, and
insight to know what is already ours in Christ.
the result will be a more powerful prayer life.
Because the earnest prayer of a righteous person
has great power and produces wonderful results.
And if you pray powerful prayers, you can expect
wonderful results. So if you're not getting wonderful
results from your prayers, You might not be praying
powerful prayers. You might just be begging for
something that you want, something that you personally
want. God, I'm just going to beg you for what
I want. Here's my begging list, God. So, one
more time. You don't have to take pictures of
this. You can take a picture of it if you want
to. How many people we got today, Robert? Did
you count? Okay, so I got 40. I got 40 pieces
of paper right back there on the table. It has
the NLT version of Ephesians 1, 15 through 23.
Then it has the DFV. It's Dean Forrest's version.
Me converting this from a prayer that Paul prayed.
for the Christians in Ephesus, to a prayer like
I would pray, if I wanted to adopt this prayer
and say these things for God and ask Him for
revelation and insight and wisdom, I wrote it
down as if I was praying it. But I'm going to
remind you, even this could be mindless repetition.
So I'm not telling you to just memorize it and
pray it as fast as you can because you've got
other stuff you've got to get to, right? You've
got a TV show you've got to get to. You've got
something else that you think is more important
than seeking. You probably won't get any revelation.
So, I want to share it with you. Here's the way
I would pray this, and I would encourage you
to pray this. Father, I ask you for spiritual
wisdom. I ask you for revelation and insight
so I can grow in my relationship with you and
in my knowledge of you. God, I'm asking you for
revelation. God, I pray that my heart, will be
flooded with light. Just like those days when
I was out on the beach and the sun came up and
I began to see more clearly and I began to notice
things. God, I pray that my heart will be flooded
with that kind of light spiritually so that I
can understand the covenant hope. God, I've got
a taste of it, but God, I know there's more.
Flood my heart with light, revelation, so I can
understand more about this hope that you have
given me. Father, I want to know. I want to understand.
I want to take hold of the incredible power and
authority you have made available to me in Christ.
The same power, the same mighty power that raised
Jesus from the dead and seated him in heavenly
places. God, give me revelation that I am seated
with Christ in heavenly places. Even though my
body is still here on earth. Jesus. I'm dealing
with some stuff today. But I know something.
I know that you are far above every ruler, every
authority, every power, every leader, and everything
else. Here, now, but not only in this world,
but also in the world to come. You have authority
over all things. Even everything I'm dealing
with, God, you have authority over all things.
And you have that authority for my benefit. Because
you love me. Jesus, you're the head. And I'm
part of your body. Everything in this world is
underneath your feet. This world is your footstool,
Jesus. So since I'm in you and I'm part of your
body, that means everything is under my feet
too. Everything's under my feet too. Thank you,
Jesus, for filling me and making me complete.
Making me complete in you. Let it be. Let it
be. Amen. I agree. Right? That's what amen means.
It doesn't mean, okay, I'm finished praying.
Now I'm going to go to something else. It means
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