The church is the means through which the Father is going to showcase His power to a watching world in order that He might be glorified, the gospel proclaimed, and people’s lives transformed. This means that all of our work done in the name of our beloved Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His glory is in accordance with His eternal purposes. Recognizing this truth will transform our thinking as we engage in ministry. By God’s grace we will eagerly serve, understanding we are doing work of eternal significance.

In a few short weeks many of us will gather around a table loaded with food to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends. For many it will be a day of feasting and family fun. For others, they may be too sick to eat, too filled with grief to laugh, or too busy to slow down and enjoy the day. Regardless, all of us should take the time to tell God thank you for our spiritual and physical blessings. And at the top of our list should be giving thanks for the church, an example Paul sets for us in the book of Ephesians.

Paul’s thanksgiving and prayer for the saints in Ephesus is grounded in their “faith in the Lord Jesus” and their “love toward all the saints” (Eph. 1:15). Such faith and love was a gift of God’s grace, “he chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world…In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ” (1:4-5). What a beautiful reminder that as we hear of our brothers’ and sisters’ faith and love, we should give thanks for them and engage in heart-felt prayer for them.

Paul asks “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory” (Eph. 1:17) to give the Ephesian believers a deep, rich, thorough knowledge of Him. He wants them to experience a beautiful relationship with the triune God. Through the Holy Spirit believers can have a “spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” (1:17). Paul prays that the believers in Ephesus will better understand three main things.

The Hope To Which He Has Called You

First, he wants them to better understand “the hope to which [the Father] has called you” (Eph. 1:18). Our hope is rooted in the past when God called us to be His child. It is presently active as we enjoy the benefits of justification, adoption, and sanctification.

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