Having outlined all the blessings Christians have received through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:1-14), Paul then prayed that the Ephesian Christians would go deeper (Ephesians 1:15-23). This prayer is thus a challenge to all new Christians (and indeed to all Christians) to go deeper. None of us has attained full perfection (and we won’t until we reach the next life), and we should not be satisfied with our current spiritual level. What did Paul pray for? First off, Paul prayed that God would give the Ephesian Christians “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” and that “the eyes of [their] heart may be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18). In other words, Paul prayed that God would deepen and broaden their understanding. We need not get caught up in asking whether the “spirit” is the Holy Spirit (God Himself) or just an attitude. The point is that Paul prayed that God would reveal more to them than He already had. This does not mean that Paul wanted them to learn something new. What he really wanted was that their understanding would be deepened. What did they need to understand better?

1. God. Paul prayed “that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17).Did the Ephesian Christians know God? Yes, of course, they did. But Paul prayed that they would know God better. Many longtime Christians will agree that they know God better now than they did when they first became Christians. They know the same God, but they know Him better—just as couples celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary can say that they know each other better than they did on their wedding day. They have a much longer shared experience.

2. The hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people (Ephesian 1:18). In other words, Paul prayed that the Ephesian Christians would know better the hope of heaven, the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. When they first believed in Jesus, did the Ephesian Christians understand that their sins would be forgiven and they would be resurrected and go to be with Jesus after they died? Of course, they did. But, as they grow older and their burdens grow heavier, for many people, the hope of heaven is nearer and closer to becoming a reality. And as they get to know God better, they will experience more deeply God’s love, as well as His joy and grace and all of the other aspects of their inheritance, all of the other aspects of God’s kingdom.

3.  His incomparably great power for us who believe. Christians know that God is all-powerful, in theory at least. But what does that mean in practice? Paul went on to say that the power God makes available to Christians is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and the same power that raised Jesus up to rule the universe (Ephesians 1:20-21). This means that God is far more powerful than “all rule and authority, power and dominion” (Ephesians 1:21). God has the power to control the universe both now and in the future. And Jesus rules the church by the same power and authority. Yet, it is one thing to know this in theory and another to experience God’s power changing circumstances, healing people, performing miracles, and, above all, transforming our hearts and minds, to make us more like Jesus. We cannot command miracles—those remain in God’s control—but it is also true that often we do not have because we do not ask God (James 4:2). We do not receive because we do not believe that God can and will do the amazing things that need to be done, in our lives and in the world around us.