This apostolic prayer begins with Paul giving THANKS to God—for the reality of grace in the people at Ephesus… In verses 15-16, he thanks God for their: ‘Faith in the Lord Jesus;’ and for their ‘Love for all the saints.’
The second part of this prayer (v.17-23) – is a PETITION—asking God to give His people a greater knowledge of Himself… There’s no greater ambition, blessing, or privilege in this life—than to know God. This knowledge of God that Paul writes about… is not some religious or theoretical kind of knowledge… He’s asking that God would give these people a real, personal, intimate, growing knowledge of Himself… Most people know something ABOUT God—they know that God created all things… that God is love… He is holy, sovereign, good, eternal, all-knowing and always present—but they don’t know Him in a real, personal, intimate way…
Bryan Wheeler Pastor Bryan Wheeler was converted to Christ in 1973. For most of the 20 years that he served in the U.S. Air Force he was actively involved in church-based preaching and teaching ministries in the U.S. and overseas. Pastor Wheeler was ordained into the gospel ministry in 1987 and was called into full time ministry in 1989. He is the pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Verona, VA. He and his wife Maureen were married in 1968 and the Lord has given them 6 children and 4 grandchildren.
