Week 3 - Praying for Humility

Hi Ladies,

When was the last time you heard a TV show or news reporter praise someone for their humility? In some ways it’s antithetical to the “self-made man” and the American dream. We’re taught (directly or indirectly) that we can achieve whatever we want if we just believe enough, work hard enough and don’t let anyone get in our way. 

Humility quickly fades into the background. 

But honestly, it’s not just modern America. Back when the Spirit inspired Paul to write all that he did about humility, the culture was not much different. In fact, we hardly find the Greek word in any secular writings of the time. The few times we do, it communicates something very negative. 

And yet, Scripture is clear that humility is foundational to the life of the believer. As imitators of Christ, we are to have His mind, who “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:5-8). And with this same mind, we are to consider others more significant than ourselves (v. 3). 

As we continue our focused prayer for our elders, it’s important that we pray for humility. While we are all called to this virtue, leaders can have an even greater challenge living it out. Perhaps this is why the Bible specifically addresses elders and humility several times. 

But before we look at those passages, I want to make sure we are all on the same page about what humility is. The Greek word is a compound word that means “lowliness of mind.” As C.S. Lewis so aptly wrote, 

Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call 'humble' nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy [insincere] person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody.

Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him.

If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all. (Mere Christianity)

Biblical humility has its gaze on Christ. The more we know and love our Triune God, the more we want to please Him, so the more we study Him, learn Him, imitate Him, image Him…. (Abide!) 

And the more we focus on Him, the more accurately we see ourselves in light of who He is, leading to healthy humility. Do you see, just as we’ve seen how holiness and love go hand in hand, humility is joined as well?

Interestingly enough, our view of God and view of self have an inverse relationship. The higher our view of God grows, the lower our view of self becomes… not because we actually become more sinful, but because we more clearly see our sin in light of His perfections. As a result, our appreciation for Christ’s work on the cross grows as it spans the ever-increasing gap between who God is and who we are. This is biblical humility. (See a helpful image of this at the end.)

Now that we have this understanding in mind, I want to close with three passages that highlight the importance of our pastor/elders being men of humility. 

Paul wrote to two young men who were (among other things) training or establishing elders, and he highlighted this qualification in both letters. 

First, to Timothy he wrote: “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:6). 

Second, to Titus he wrote: “He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered” (Tit.1:7). 

By prohibiting both the young in the faith and the arrogant/quick-tempered, these two passages show the weightiness of the elder’s calling. Shepherding is spiritually demanding to say the least, and there is no room for pride. For the sake of Christ and His Bride the Church, Paul by the Spirit declares humility an essential qualification. 

Third, Acts 20 describes Paul’s humility toward the elders he had trained. He didn’t just require it; he lived it! I wish I had time to detail the significance of Paul’s calling these Ephesian elders to come see him, but you can read here for that. But here is Acts 20:17-22: 

“Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him, he said to them:
‘You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.’”

Paul’s humility was not weakness, as his description clearly demonstrates. It was an all-consuming passion to love and serve His Lord by passing on the glorious Gospel. 

Let’s pray for Pastor Jason and our other elders that their gaze would be fixed on Christ. 

And let’s pray that their view of Him would not be static but would continue to increase as they behold Him, so that their view of self would rightly decrease. 

And finally, let’s pray that as they model this to us, we in turn would live the same as we seek to know and spread the glorious Gospel of Christ!

❤️🙏🏼 

Anna 

Week 2 - Praying for Holiness

Hi Ladies,

Last week, I shared four character traits that we’ll focus our prayers on for Pastor Jason and our other elders this month. As we move from praying for love to praying for holiness, I hope you’ll see that they are not disconnected. In fact, I’d suggest that you can’t have one without the other. But let me show you from Scripture… not simply my own thoughts! 

Jesus told His disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (Jn. 14:15). 

John, through the Spirit, brings this point home multiple times in his writings. Here are just a few:

“Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected” (1 Jn. 2:4-5).

“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” (1 Jn. 5:2-3).

Paul connects love and holiness as well. It’s easy to miss with the chapter break, but in Ephesians 4-5, Paul tells believers that they’ve already been taught in Christ “to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness….. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us” (Eph. 4:24, 5:1-2). 

Love and holiness go hand in hand. Positionally, we’re “holy and beloved” (Col. 3:12). But practically, we have to work hard by the Spirit to live this out…. Even our elders! (Titus 1:8) But the more we (they) know God and love Him, the more we want to do what pleases Him, and the more we image Christ.

An English Puritan named Thomas Watson famously said, “'Til sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.” Who am I to mess with a Puritan… but I think it might be even more accurate to say the inverse: 'Til Christ be sweet, sin will not be bitter. In other words, holiness is not fundamentally about not doing bad things… or even about doing good things. It’s about being devoted to a Person - His words, His will, His way. The more we treasure Christ, the more we come to hate what He hates. Sin loses its appeal. As the song goes, “The things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

Holiness also does not mean sinlessness. But for the elder/under-shepherd, it means a life that is devoted to the Great Shepherd. Nearly all of the biblical elder qualifications are about character, not skill or charisma. Because God takes this seriously, we should too - not holding it over their heads in critical judgment, but rather praying specifically and consistently that our elders would be known both by God and by others as holy, devoted men.

So this week, let’s pray that our elders would be holy men of God who are devoted to the Word and to prayer (Acts 6:4), so that they know and treasure Christ above everything else and model and lead us toward this same holiness, for His glory and the good of His Bride, the Church. ❤️🙏🏼

Anna

A Month of Prayer for our Pastor/Elder Team

Hi Ladies,

I like for us to take each October to pray specifically for Pastor Jason and the elders. Even though Pastor Appreciation Month is a modern invention, the concept of showing honor to whom honor is due is deeply rooted in Scripture: 

- “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1 Thess. 5:12-13).

- “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17).

- “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Heb. 13:17). 

- Under the Old Covenant leadership structure, leaders were also to be respected (Ex. 22:28; Num.12:7-8; Deut. 4:1, 18:15). 

There are many things that we could pray for over the next month, but I have narrowed it down to four character traits. This list is certainly not comprehensive, nor is it meant to communicate that our elders are failing in these areas! These are simply the four qualities the Lord brought to mind as I prayed for His guidance on how best to pray for them this time around. So, for the next four weeks we will focus on praying for love, praying for holiness, praying for humility and praying for wisdom. 

First, a quick note about why we will not only pray for Pastor Jason, but also for our elders. The New Testament words for these spiritual leaders - presbuteros (elder), episkopos (overseer/bishop), and poimen (pastor/shepherd) - are all used for the same office (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2). While some elders are paid and tasked with the more formal role of preaching and teaching, and some are lay or non-vocational, all of them are elders who are accountable to the same list of qualifications given in Scripture (see 1 Tim. 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9). So while it is right and good to show extra appreciation to Pastor Jason this month, let’s not forget our other elders. 

Why begin with love? I believe there are several good reasons. First, Jesus does! When summing up the greatest commandment, He says, “‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mk. 12:30-31). This is true for all of us, but especially for our spiritual leaders.

Paul echoes this in 1 Corinthians 13 by saying that nothing good or spectacular or “spiritual” is worth anything if it is not rooted in love. No matter how good Pastor Jason is at preaching, no matter how good our elders are at overseeing the ministries, if their efforts do not flow from a heart that loves God and spills over in love for others, the Bible tells us it is spiritually meaningless. 

That is sobering.

Let’s pray that our elders would know, feel and act on the love that God has poured into their hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to them (Rom. 5:3). 

Second, sheep (a.k.a. you and me) can be hard to love. (Surely not you. It’s the other person. 😉) I don’t think I need to try to prove this point. Rather, I want to highlight that the Bible tells us over and over that love covers a multitude of sins and offenses (Prov. 10:12, 17:9; James 5:20; 1 Pet. 4:8). 

Let’s pray that the Lord would give our elders tender-loving hearts to overlook what needs to be overlooked and also to pastorally address what needs to be addressed. (And, it wouldn't hurt to pray that we would respond better than the average sheep!)

Third, ministry is really hard. Most of us have no idea how much weight Pastor Jason and our elders carry. The enemy would love to use these weights to harden their hearts in self-protection or cause them to become cynical toward God’s sanctifying work in the flock. Let’s pray that our elders would have Christ’s love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Cor. 13:7).

Perhaps you can think of more reasons. But these three should be enough to motivate us to pray that the Lord would fill our elders’ hearts with love. And as you pray for them this week, consider ways the Lord might want you to act on these prayers and show your love and appreciation in tangible ways. 

Thank you for joining me in prayer for the leaders God has graciously given to us! 🙏🏼❤️

Anna

Ephesians 1:15-23, part 6 - Wrapping up with gifts

Hi Ladies,

As you have meditated on Paul’s prayer over these last weeks, you may have wondered where he stops praying and starts communicating directly to his readers again. That’s a great question, and it’s hard to tell. Paul seems to move in and out of prayer so seamlessly. Perhaps this is one way to apply “pray without ceasing” - speak, respond in prayer, speak, respond in prayer. What might it look like for us to model this in our own lives? 

Regardless of where the prayer ends, Paul’s thought continues through the end of this long, rich sentence that we have been reading the last five weeks, and we’re going to do that one final time: 

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, 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, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 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. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all (Eph. 1:15-23). 

The fact that God has put all things under Christ’s feet is not simply a re-statement of what Paul has just stated before this. It’s also a quotation from the Old Testament. In Psalm 8, David is exalting the Lord and asking, “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet” (Ps. 8:4-6). 

Although mankind was called to rule and have dominion over creation, we blew it (Gen. 1:28; 3:1-19). And the overarching story of Scripture is God’s sovereign plan to right the wrong through the gift of a perfect and obedient Man - the second Adam - His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. 

Paul knows this, and he quotes David’s statement twice in his writings. We’ve seen the first one in his prayer above, but look also at 1 Corinthians 15: “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For ‘God has put all things in subjection under his feet’” (vv. 21-27a).

Why does Paul speak of this subjection in both the “already” and the “not yet” sense? (Reread the bold sections if you missed it). This "already/not yet" dynamic is true of much of the Christian life on this side of the cross. What was inaugurated in Christ’s first coming will be consummated at His second coming. While we rightly live in this tension of the “already/not yet,” we can do so with confidence and purpose, as Paul explains as he wraps up his prayer:

“He put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” 

Not only has God put all things under Christ’s feet, but He has also gifted Him to us, the church, to be our Head - our Authority and Supplier and Sustainer! This is not a distant, authoritarian relationship. Spiritually speaking, we are intimately connected to this Head, just as our physical body is fully connected to our head. The head controls everything. 

Because of this connection, we have been called, equipped, and empowered to be Christ’s body to the world. Christ said that it was good that He go away for a time, but that He would send His Spirit to live within us, providing all we need until He returns to consummate our union with Him. We are just a “vapor” away from that day…. But for now, we have all we need to continue being the hands and feet of Jesus, spreading His fragrance, and seeking to fill this needy world with Him. 

What a gift!! What a responsibility!! As we conclude studying this incredible prayer, let’s not conclude our prayers from it. Rather, let’s pray for one another, that we would constantly grow in our understanding of, and our response to these amazing realities. May we treasure Christ our Head so much that every part of our lives is oriented around His loving authority. May we be so convinced - so filled with Him - that others can’t help but experience Christ in us! 

We’ve been given a mission, and we've been given all we need to obey it. But, we need Spiritual eyes to see and believe it.

Lord, may it be so for this dear family at Abingdon Bible Church. 🙏🏼❤️

Anna

Ephesians 1:15-23, part 5 - The immeasurable greatness of His power

Hi Ladies,

Do you ever wonder how many times the Ephesians might have read and reread Paul’s letter, trying to get it all? It’s so rich! We’ve spent the last several weeks looking at his prayer in chapter 1 and making his prayer our prayer for one another. This week, we are going to look at the final “sight” Paul is praying that we, as God’s children, would fully grasp with our spiritual eyes. As always, we want the context, so read the entire prayer again. (You might have it memorized by the time we’re finished!):

“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, 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, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 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. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Eph. 1:15-23)

Paul is not simply praying that we would know that God is powerful. He prays more specifically that we would know that His incredible power is at work toward us who are in Christ. 

What kind of power is this? Paul calls it immeasurable. Some translations say surpassing. The idea behind the original Greek is that it exceeds anything comparable. There is no other power like it. But Paul does go on to describe it, not as a power we can reproduce or even fully understand, but rather as the infinite power that raised Christ from the dead. 

Do you hear what he is saying? The same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in us! This Spirit-infused power brought us from death to life, traded our sins for Christ’s righteousness and placed us in the Beloved Son. And Paul is passionate that we truly know this reality - that we “see” with the eyes of our hearts - so that we might live in light of this glorious truth.

Why does Paul add the next phrase “and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places”? We tend to explain the gospel in terms of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Even Paul does this in 1 Corinthians 15, so it is certainly not wrong! But Jesus did not stay on earth. (And though we don’t have time to explore it now, this is also gloriously good news!) He ascended to the right hand of His Father - to a place of highest honor, authority and privilege. This place is far above “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). It’s far above “the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10). It’s far above any other important name that ever has been or will be (Eph. 1:21).

And here at this place of highest position, not only do we see His equality with God, but we also see His role as our Mediator and Intercessor (Heb. 7:23-28; 9:24). Further, Paul will go on to say that because we are in Christ, we are spiritually seated with Him there! (Eph. 2:6)

Do you find yourself giving over to anxiety or fear? 

Is your heart hardened toward someone in the Body of Christ? 

Are you struggling with a besetting sin? 

Are you tempted to live to earn God’s approval? 

Are you desperately weary with the weights of this fallen world?

Whatever your struggle, if you are in Christ, this truth offers you incredible hope. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in you, enabling you to be victorious. 

This amazing reality is something that we can only grasp through the enabling power of the Spirit - through His enlightening the eyes of our hearts. So let’s continue to pray for one another this week, that God would enable us by His Spirit to truly see and believe that we have His power at work in us. 

And then may we fight in His strength to apply it, knowing that in Christ we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us this much!  🙌❤️🙏

Anna

Ephesians 1:15-23, part 4 - The riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints

Hi Ladies,

I trust that the Spirit encouraged you this past week with the incredible hope we have in our God! But we can quickly lose sight of it. It’s something Paul knew he needed to pray for the believers in Ephesus. And it’s certainly something we should continue to pray for as well. 

But that is not all Paul prayed for. We’re looking this week at the second “sight” he wants them - and us - to see. But because context is so important for right understanding, read the entire prayer again: 

“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, 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, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 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. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Eph. 1:15-23

Read that bold section again slowly: “what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” 

Scripture, especially the New Testament, is full of passages about our inheritance. In fact, Paul just talked about it a few verses back: “In [Christ] we have obtained an inheritance” (Eph. 1:11). Or Col. 1:12, “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” Peter also shares similarly: “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope…to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:3-4). And the author of Hebrews: “Therefore [Christ] is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance” (Heb. 9:15).

But that doesn’t seem to be what Paul is saying here. “His glorious inheritance in the saints.” His is referring to God, the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wait… you and I are seen as an inheritance? Needy, sinful us?! Inheritance is worthy stuff. Valuable stuff. Paul, aren’t you being a little egotistical here? 

No, actually he’s not. But before you start feeling too good about yourself, we need to bring some other important Scripture to bear on this:

1) Read 1 Pet. 2:9-10, and see why God chose us: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 

Was it because of anything good in us? Was it to make a name for ourselves? No! He showed us great mercy by rescuing us from our sin in order that we might proclaim His excellencies. 

2) Read also 2 Tim. 2:9: “[God] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.” 

Nothing we did or would do or will do earns us this position as an inheritance. It is all because of His purpose and grace! 

So, yes, we truly are God’s inheritance. He actually delights in us as His treasured possession! But the reason for this is nothing inherently special in us. It is all because of His gracious work of placing us in Christ, His beloved Son. 

This is good news! It means we don’t have to wonder if we are gifted enough or spiritual enough or any other measure we place on ourselves. God accepts us because He chose us from the foundation of the world. He put His love on us out of the good pleasure of His will, and placed in us His beloved Son. 

Oh, that we might delight in the riches of this glorious reality! 

We are His treasured inheritance. 

Let’s pray for one another this week, that we would truly believe this, and live in light of the joy and peace and security it brings. ❤️🙏🏼

Anna 

Ephesians 1:15-23, part 3 - To know the hope of His calling

Hi Ladies,

Paul’s prayers are so rich, not only to understand, but to pray! I hope you don’t mind taking our time digging into them.

This week, we’re ready to begin looking at the first of three “sights” that he is praying the Ephesians’ Spirit-opened “eyes” will truly see/understand. Read the whole prayer below to get it in your mind again:

“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, 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, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 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. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Eph. 1:15-23

Paul’s first “sight” request is that we would know what is the hope to which God has called us. There are two key words here that we need to make sure we understand: hope and called. But before we get there, I want you to see something really important. Ephesians has six chapters. The first three focus primarily on theology - what is true about God, His plans, His purposes, and His people. The final three focus mainly on the application of these realities. And so we get the “therefore…” in Eph. 4:1. And it is here that we see nearly the same phrase: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called….” And then verse 4: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call.” Grasping this hope that belongs to our call is not just a nice encouragement. It is essential to us responding practically - walking worthy - to the call. 

Let’s start with the word called. We find this word all over Scripture. So how does its usage elsewhere shed light on this passage? 

- Take 1 Corinthians 1:9… “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” We’ve been called/summoned into a relationship, a fellowship with the Godhead! 

- 1 Timothy 6:12 says, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” Called to eternal life! 

- 1 Thessalonians 2:12… “We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” Called into His own kingdom and glory! 

- And in case you think this is just Pauline language, Peter says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9)…. And again in 1 Peter 5:10, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” And again in 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” Called out of darkness, into His marvelous light, into His eternal glory in Christ, to His own glory and excellence! 

Do you hear it? Glory. Glory. Glory. How fitting then that Paul tells us he is praying to the Father of glory (v. 17), this God for whom all things are done to praise His glory! (Eph. 1:6, 1:12, 1:14) 

And when God calls, we respond. Just as Lazarus - a dead man - responded to Christ’s death-defeating call (Jn. 11:43-44), so we who were dead in our sins, were enabled by His effectual call to respond, being given new life (Eph. 2:5). This calling is undeniable and irrevocable, as Romans 11:29 tells us. It cannot be undone or changed or taken back. Glory! 

So, what hope do we have in this calling? I hope you see it in the call itself! But we need to understand that this hope is not an “I hope so” hope like we tend to use the word today. It’s not dependent on how good we are, or smart or faithful or pious. Rather, it is a certain hope because of His promise to do so. If I can give you perhaps the most encouraging verse to support this, here it is: “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thess. 5:24). What an amazing hope we have!! 

So let’s pray for one another this week, that we would truly come to understand and believe this incredible hope that God has called us to - a hope of glory with Him, in Him, for Him, forever. And then let’s pray that we will walk worthy of that calling together, until the day when His work in us is complete, and He can say to us, “I have surely done it! Well done, good and faithful servant.”  ❤️🙏🏼

Anna 

Ephesians 1:15-23, part 2 - Getting knowledge right

Hi Ladies,

I hope that last week’s focus has made you more mindful of both our great need for and access to Spirit-filled wisdom as we seek to abide in Him. This week, we are just going to look at the big-picture goal of Paul's requests before looking at each one more in depth. 

In the bold section below, Paul prays that this Spirit-filled wisdom would result in knowing three specific things. Read the passage again:

“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, 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, 

what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 

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. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
Eph. 1:15-23

Paul wants the Ephesians - and now us - to know some specific things. But the word for know here is not merely a knowing about. It implies understanding. And as we saw last week, this understanding comes only from having Spirit-opened hearts to see. Paul wants us to really understand and perceive the truth of these things: 

1) the hope to which GOD has called US
2) the riches of the glory of GOD’S glorious inheritance in the SAINTS
3) the immeasurable greatness of GOD’S power toward US who believe

Notice they all begin with God! Remember, our view of God is the most important thing about us, because it affects how we view everything else, especially ourselves. But we must keep these views in the right order. Who we are and what we have are only because of who He is and what He has given us!

- Do you define yourself in light of Christ?

- Do you view your possessions, both material and immaterial, in light of Christ?

If your answer to these questions is yes, praise Him for this gift! And keep praying. If Paul kept praying for it, we should too.

If your honest answer to either of these questions is no, ask the Lord to show you why that might be. Go back to that first part of the prayer… Father, enlighten the eyes of my heart! Enable me by Your Spirit to see things in light of who You are and what You have done for me.

Would you also pray this for one another this week? 

And if you are struggling to see this way, to believe this way, would you reach out to me or another sister in this family? God has gifted us to one another to help us in the journey. Let’s not neglect that gift. ❤️🙏🏼

Anna

Ephesians 1:15-23, part 1

Hi Ladies,

How many of you got red ink in English class due to run-on sentences? If so, you’re not alone. The apostle Paul would have been right with you. 😄 

Did you know that after the brief greeting in Ephesians 1, the rest of the chapter is just two sentences in the original Greek?! Hence the complexity and richness of his long-sentence prayer from vv. 15-23. We’re going to take the next few weeks to meditate on and pray through it. I want you to read the whole prayer below:

“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, 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, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 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. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

We’re going to focus on the bold section this week. A few things to note before we get to Paul’s requests for this church body:

1) “For this reason” - when you see a connecting phrase like this (or others like “therefore,” “because,” “in light of,” etc.), ask yourself, What is it there for? Paul has just finished another rich (one-sentence!) expression of all that is ours in Christ (read vv. 3-14 to remind yourself). So, Paul’s prayer for them is motivated by incredible realities that they - and we - are prone to forget.

But notice what word comes next: “…because.” Is “for this reason” pointing backward or forward? Or both? Paul often seems to do both!
Let’s look at the forward reasons he now gives:

2) Paul had ministered in Ephesus for about 3 years, likely beginning about 10 years before writing this letter to them (Acts 19). So, as a faithful planter and pray-er, Paul had worked hard and then entrusted the results to the Lord. But he had recently heard that they were bearing fruit! And that knowledge motivated both this prayer as well as constant, gratitude-filled prayers for them. He highlights two connecting fruits: “faith in the Lord Jesus” and “love toward all the saints.” How do faith and love connect?

Can you picture a vibrant faith without love? Or can you imagine trying to love our brothers and sisters without understanding how or why? Vertical faith and horizontal love are inseparable. Read 1 Jn 3:23 if you’re not sure. And, pray that this would be true of us as well.

Now the main request: “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.” Notice the triune involvement! This was demonstrated in his last long sentence as well. Paul had a robust understanding of our triune God. Do you? If not, what can you do to move toward that?

Why does he call God “the Father of glory”? I’ll let you determine that on your own. But I’ll give you a hint: “Context is king.” (A phrase I often heard in Bible college!)

Another question… (If you haven’t already gathered, always be asking questions of the Text!): If we already have the Spirit (v. 13), why pray that God would give us “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him?”
Greek doesn’t capitalize proper nouns like English does, so it’s not always clear which is which. Should it be (the Holy) Spirit or (our) spirit? Respected theologians have differing opinions, but in this case, the meaning doesn’t really change. Yes, at salvation we received as much of God’s Spirit as we get as believers… (pause and ponder that for a minute if you need to, and watch this LAB if you’d like to explore more)…

…but do we have complete wisdom and understanding in our knowledge of God? (The easiest question yet!!) That’s why we’re commanded over and over to get wisdom, to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord, to keep saturating our minds with the truth, and to continuously cry with Paul, “that I may know Him!” (Phil. 3:10)

And this is only possible by God’s Spirit enabling our spirit, enlightening the eyes of our hearts, to know Him more fully as He has revealed Himself, and then to live in light of that knowledge. There is a physical seeing and a spiritual; a physical hearing and a spiritual. Sadly, many “see” but do not see, and “hear” but do not hear (Mt. 13:13). Wisdom is being able to apply knowledge to life. And we need supernatural help for both knowing and applying. So we should pray for one another consistently, that God would grant us by His Spirit in us to grow in our understanding of the incredible realities of our God and then to live in light of them…

“So that we may know…” and Paul highlights three things. But that’s for next week!

Thanks for hanging with me. This email offers some study tips in addition to a prayer focus that I pray will be helpful in your pursuit of abiding in Him. ❤️🙏

Anna

A repeated word from a different mouth - James 1:2-4

Hi Ladies,

Have you ever told someone something (maybe a repeated something!), and they just don't seem to get it? Then, one day you hear them say, "So-and-so said this to me, and it really stuck." And you think to yourself, That's exactly what I was trying to tell you!

There is a lot of value in multiple voices speaking similar words of truth and encouragement. And praise the Lord for many like-minded saints who are doing that, both within our church family and beyond! This week, I want to share a "same-but-different" with you on a topic we've talked about a lot over the years. But I hope that hearing it from someone else will maybe help it stick even better. 😊❤️🙏 So, enjoy this devotional on James 1:2-4 from Paul Tautges, a pastor, counselor and gifted writer:

                                  Your Faith Muscle Needs Exercise

“Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

In Trusting God, Jerry Bridges describes the physical exertion of the Cecropia moth as it exits its cocoon. He then tells the story of a sympathetic viewer who snipped the shell of a cocoon to free a struggling moth. What this person did not understand “was that the struggle to emerge from the cocoon was an essential part of developing the muscle system of the moth’s body and pushing the body fluids out into the wings to expand them. By unwisely seeking to cut short the moth’s struggle, the watcher had actually crippled the moth and doomed its existence.”[1]

Such is the case with the muscle of our faith. If we habitually seek to escape from all painful trials rather than joyfully submitting to them as part of God’s endurance-building program, we may forgo opportunities to have our faith muscles exercised and strengthened.

The Struggle That Strengthens Faith

James 1:2-4 teaches us that knowing the goal of suffering is an important part of being able to “count it all joy” when we encounter “trials of various kinds.” God tests our faith to produce steadfastness, or endurance. The word steadfastness comes from a compound word meaning “to stay under,” “abide,” or “remain.” It is the picture of someone who has been carrying a heavy load for a long time, remaining under its weight instead of seeking to cast it off. Similarly, endurance develops when we remain under a trial while resisting the temptation to run from it. As we stay in our trials, our faith is strengthened. As Kent Hughes says, “The more tests we pass, the tougher we become.”[2]

Staying Under, Not Running Away

God’s good purpose will often be accomplished as we humbly submit to our trials. God may remove the trial when we have learned what it was sent to teach us, or it may be His will for us to remain under it indefinitely.[3] As we mature in Christ, we learn to remain under our trials until God lifts them or accomplishes their character-building purpose.

When suffering comes your way, you have two basic choices: you can choose to persevere under trial and grow in endurance, or you can run from pain and be robbed of growth. One way you gain; the other way you lose. If you decide you have had enough pressure and develop the habit of running from all trials, you will short-circuit the process of your own spiritual maturity.

From Steadfastness to Christlike Maturity

Steadfastness, as virtuous as it is, is not God’s final goal. God does not want you merely to endure but to endure with joy—knowing His goal is to make you “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” God’s goal is to bring you to the finish line, whole and mature.

Spiritual maturity is what God is after in our trials. And if you want to know what spiritual maturity looks like, look at Jesus. You can be joyful in the midst of suffering when you know and embrace God’s good purpose to develop your faith muscles in such a way that you reflect Christ.

Questions for Reflection

     1. Ask yourself, “Where am I currently tempted to ‘snip the cocoon’ and escape a hard situation instead of asking God to use it to strengthen my faith?”
     2. How have your former trials, in hindsight, grown the muscle of your faith and made you more like Christ?
     3. What would it look like today to remain under your present trial with joy, trusting that God is aiming at making you “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”?

Editor’s Note: This article is a chapter excerpt from Remade: Embracing Your Complete Identity in Christ by Paul Tautges (P&R Publishing, 2023).

[1] Jerry Bridges, Trusting God (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1988), 173–74.

[2] R. Kent Hughes, James: Faith That Works (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1991), 19.

[3] In the course of applying biblical wisdom, we may discern that God is leading us in another direction. For example, Proverbs 22:3 teaches that “the prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” Generally speaking, however, it is healthy for us to avoid falling into escapist patterns.

Source: https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/2026/08/12/your-faith-muscle-needs-exercise

Praying Col. 4:12, part 2 - Standing mature and fully assured

Hi Ladies,

Last week, after meditating on Colossians 4:12 and trying to articulate its richness, I realized that there was just too much to fit into one devotional. 🙂 So, we continue this week…

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.” 

Last week, we looked at Epaphras’s zealous commitment to prayer. His prayers were not half-hearted prayers, nor were they “in passing” prayers. They were fervent and ongoing. But what were these struggle-infused prayers for? 

“That you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.”

Notice his desire that they stand. The original word means “to not hesitate or waver; to stand fast.” Can you picture a soldier armed and ready to fight, with his feet braced firmly on the ground? Whatever Epaphras is praying for, he wants them firmly anchored in it. But what is it?

He first prays that they would stand mature. Some translations say “perfect”; some say “complete.” It’s the Greek word teleios, which we’ve looked at before. It can mean “fully developed” or “brought to completion” or “lacking in nothing.” Here, it seems that Epaphras is echoing Paul’s similar, passionate desire found in chapter 1: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28). 

This maturity will not reach absolute completion until our earthly sanctification is over and we stand glorified in the Lord’s presence. But it is something that we are striving by grace to live toward more and more each day that we are given on earth. 

We do not drift into holiness. 

We do not achieve Christlikeness simply because of the number of days or years we have been saved. 

It takes work. Spirit-fueled work. And both Paul and Epaphras understood the essentialness of prayer toward this end. 

How about you? Do you pray for your sisters and brothers in Christ to remain steadfast in their faith, not wavering, but continuing to progress all the way to completion? 

Epaphras adds one more request: that they stand fully assured in all the will of God. “Fully assured” is a beautiful compound word in Greek that here means fully persuaded or convinced. He wanted them to be absolutely sold on something. And that something was the will of God. 

“Oh, the elusive will of God!,” you might think. “I wish I could be absolutely certain of it!” But if Epaphras is praying for this (and not just assurance of some of God’s will, but all), perhaps we have an inaccurate (or lazy) view of God’s will. I know I have struggled with this. I just want God to send the clear lightning bolts and tell me all the right answers to all of life’s decisions! 

But Ladies, God has given us His will, laid out perfectly in the pages of His revelation to us. Beyond the clear “this is the will of God” statements, Peter writes that God has given us everything we need to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3). All the principles we need to be who He wants us to be, and to do what He wants us to do, are found in His Word. 

Yes, this takes work! We must learn them - studying God's Word and sitting under the preaching of His Word. And then we must live out what we know, applying His Word to our lives in daily dependence on the Spirit. But we have it! And Epaphras is continually struggling in prayer that these believers stand confident in it all. 

Did you notice the double emphasis? He’s not only praying that they come to know all of God’s will, but also that they will be convinced that it is best! 

How about you? As you pray for your brothers and sisters, do you pray both for knowledge and for assurance of it? 

We have a wonderful model here to pray for one another this week and beyond. God, would You empower us to stand fast together ‘til the end? And would You grow us not only in our awareness of what You desire of us, but also in our joyful certainty of Your sovereign goodness in it all? 

Let’s be a church family who labors in prayer together for these things, and then lives it out by His amazing grace! 

❤️🙏🏼

Anna 

A powerful wrestling (Col. 4:12)

Hi Ladies,

When was the last time you wrestled? 

Not that kind of wrestling… although some of you moms of little boys might have a recent memory! I’m talking about wrestling in prayer. 

I could be wrong, but I don't think many of us are very experienced with this. We pray, but they are “neat and tidy” prayers, or “safe” prayers. Perhaps we’re not sure exactly how to pray, so we stick to phrases we’ve heard from others. Maybe we’re concerned that we’ll say the wrong thing and offend God. Or maybe we have a pious view of prayer that doesn’t leave much room for emotion. Or maybe we think, “If God knows everything at all times, why do I need to ask, keep on asking, ask with fervency?”

There are probably as many reasons for our lack of wrestling as there are readers of this right now. And my goal is not to tell you why you don’t, but to 1) show you a motivating model, and 2) encourage you to identify your own reason(s) and work by grace to overcome it so you can become a model as well. 

First, we see examples all over Scripture of people wrestling or struggling in prayer. A most vivid example is Jacob who actually, physically wrestled with “a man” of whom he said, “I have seen God face to face” (Gen. 32:22-32). Hannah wrestled in prayer with so much passion that Eli the priest thought she was drunk (1 Sam. 1:1-20). Job groaned, the psalmists lamented, kings fasted, the prophets pleaded. 

Then we come to the New Testament: Simeon (Lk. 2:25), Anna (Lk. 2:36), the Syrophoenician woman (Mk. 7:24-30), Paul (2 Cor. 12:7-9). And sweating, like great drops of blood? Christ Himself knows what it means to wrestle in prayer (Lk. 22:44). 

But I especially love an example we see in Colossians 4. Paul is concluding his letter by sending greetings to this church body, and he says this: "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God" (Col. 4:12).

"Always struggling on your behalf in his prayers" - The Greek word for “struggling” is agōnizomai. This probably reminds you of our own English word agonizing. It carries the idea of laboring fervently with strenuous zeal. This dear brother had committed not only his life to sharing Christ with these people (Col. 1:7), but also his prayers. Do we pray with such commitment for our Family? 

What was he praying for? That they would "stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God." This is too rich to unpack this week, so we'll look at it more next week. But for now, I just want you to notice the essence of the requests. How do our requests for one another compare? 

Finally, I encourage you to spend some time this week thinking about what might be hindering your own wrestling or struggling in prayer. Ask the Lord to show you. He wants you continually coming to Him, casting your cares, confessing your sins, fighting your doubts, interceding for your brothers and sisters, pleading His promises. So, He will show you!

Let's pray for one another this week, that the Lord would teach us and free us to pray like this, especially for one another.

Learning what it means to struggle on your behalf in my prayers is such a joyful privilege. ❤️🙏🏼

Anna