Ephesians 1:15-23 • Praying with Power

In Ephesians 1:15–23, Paul moves from deep theology to deep prayer, showing us that what we believe about God should drive us to pray, and how we pray should shape the way we live. Paul prays that the eyes of our hearts would be opened to see three life-changing realities: the hope of God’s calling, the riches of his glorious inheritance, and the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe. That same power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him above every authority is now at work in his church—the very body of Christ, through which he displays his fullness to the world. This passage calls us to move beyond knowing truths about God to experiencing communion with God and embodying his power together as the church.

Discussion Questions

1. Thanksgiving & Faith/Love (vv. 15–16)

- Paul thanks God for the Ephesian believers’ faith and love. -Who is someone in your life you can thank God for this week?

- How do faith in Christ and love for other believers serve as evidence of genuine Christianity?

2. Theology → Prayer (vv. 17–18)

- Paul doesn’t pray for new blessings but for enlightened hearts to grasp what God has already given. Why do you think we often struggle to connect what we know about God with what we pray?

- Share a time when something you learned about God changed the way you prayed.

3. The Three Realities (vv. 18–19)

Paul prays that believers would know:

The hope of God’s calling,

The riches of his glorious inheritance,

The immeasurable greatness of his power.

- Which of these do you find hardest to see and believe in your life right now? Why?

4. Christ’s Power (vv. 20–21)

- How does Paul describe God’s power displayed in Christ’s resurrection and exaltation?

- In what ways does knowing Christ is above “every ruler, authority, and power” give us confidence in a world full of fear and uncertainty?

5. Christ and the Church (vv. 22–23)

- Paul says the church is “his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.” What does it mean that Christ chooses to display his fullness through the church?

- How should this truth shape the way we view and treat the church?

6. Application (Whole Passage)

- If “theology fuels prayer, and prayer fuels life,” what is one way you can let what you know about God fuel your prayers this week?

- What step can you take to live more faithfully in light of Christ’s power working in you?