Prayers of the Heart; Ephesians 1

May the mumbling commence!

When we rely so boldly on the Lord Jesus Christ, we can say prayers of the heart not only for ourselves but we also pray them for others.  We will pray for the Church, with a capital “C.”  We will pray not only for our denomination but for all Christianity – both Western and Eastern Christianity.  Yes, I believe one way of actively waiting in this season of Advent is to seek to heal and reanimate the whole church as one body in Christ.

It is a steep goal that will not happen in Advent season 2011.  Healing and reanimating the whole church is something that only God can do through his Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit…  We cannot really understand the Holy Spirit of God.  We are intimately understood, but we can never fully understand in this lifetime.  But, we can understand more fully if we walk together and talk about our concepts of God and how His Holy Spirit is working in the Church and in the world.

When we seek such high goals, we need to boldly rely on Jesus.  Then we can pray prayers like the one that Paul wrote to the Ephesian church.  Read this prayer from Ephesians chapter one:

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.  I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Verses 15-23)

To know the Spirit of the Holy God is a never-ending journey.  Give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, O God.  Grant that we may fellowship together as children of God and that we may worship together and that we may think about God together.  May we gather together in the season of Advent – Protestant and Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox.  If we can speak as one (the unity that Jesus prayed for in John chapter seventeen), then the Spirit of the Holy God will be made known to all humanity.

Unity beyond denominational lines is a lofty goal, but we have hope in the power of Christ and the power of the Almighty God.  Everything will be under the power and dominion of Christ Jesus one day.  Today, Jesus has that power in the Church.  That power will be made known when we make ourselves fully available to him and we stand together as the Church.  And we have hope in the promise that all things will be fulfilled through Christ Jesus.

Yeah, let’s make lofty goals!  Totally insane goals!  When we get to know and walk with the Holy Spirit of God and make insane goals, we will be carried on the irresistible tide of the God’s incomparably great power.  Yeah, nothing compares to the power of our God!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out