Know the Hope of Your Calling
Paul’s Prayers
“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you” (Ephesians 1:18a)
Paul’s Prayers are a beautiful picture of honest supplication for the body of Christ, and they bring to light the need for depth in our prayer life. This prayer in particular reveals the root of our identity as followers of Christ – that we may know the hope of our calling from God. Here, Paul prays for Ephesian believers to have a deep, spiritual understanding of the hope to which God has called them, a hope that is intertwined with the knowledge of God’s power and the inheritance awaiting believers. Do you understand this hope?
As a child of God, our hope is rooted in His promises and in His faithful character. Our hope is centered on His calling to us, when He extended the invitation to salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ and we accepted – we are His forever!
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light.”
The hope of His calling is that we are known, chosen, redeemed, brought into the family of Christ, and set apart for a glorious inheritance. Beyond our physical needs for survival and safety, humanity’s next need and often most unmet need is a sense of belonging. The unshakable knowledge that we are loved, valued, and esteemed – we are all searching for this and we will always come up short unless we search for this recognition in Christ!
John 1:12 (ESV) “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”
He has called you by name and there is a place for you at His table. We look forward to a glorious future where there will be no more pain, death, or sin!
How can the knowledge of this great promise fuel our prayer for others?
To any who may be searching for a sense of purpose, for an understanding of their identity, for a family that will accept and love them deeply – this is the hope that we can offer. The hope of identity found in Christ, purpose found in Christ, family found in Christ.
We can pray that others would know the future to which they have been called, one of victory and crowned with glory. We can pray that they would understand the present to which they have been called, one of abundance and true life. Here is a short list of areas where we can hold ourselves accountable to pray.
Pray that others would know:
- Identity in Christ
- Purpose in Christ
- Belonging to a family, brotherhood and sisterhood
- Redemption in Christ
- Forgiveness by Christ’s blood
- complete and faithful love demonstrated by Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross
Do you know a friend who is struggling in her walk with the Lord? Do you know someone who hasn’t yet found the Lord or heard His call? We can first pray for their eyes to be opened, their ears to be listening, and their heart to be softened to His call. We can pray that they would knock on the door because we know full well that He will answer! And for those who have knocked and accepted His call, we must pray that they wouldn’t forget who they are in Christ. We pray that they wouldn’t be ensnared by the enemy’s tactics to distort their God-given purpose for which He prepared them long before they were born. We pray they would never doubt the family of God that they belong to, and if they must heal from past hurts, we pray they would remember how they have been forgiven, redeemed, and loved faithfully by the Lord.
Romans 8:28-30 (NLT) “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.” (emphasis mine)