In these two verses, Paul writes of remembering the Ephesians. When I come to teach these lessons, I find myself remembering some things as well. I remember studying it, memorizing it, wondering about pieces and parts of it. In my mental scenes, verse 15 has hues of the how-tos for Paul had also written, “Follow my example1.” With that in mind, look at the two verses of this lesson.
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, (Ephesians 1:15-16–ESV)
Do you know what my younger mind did with these verses? It said, “Ok, God wants me to pray without ceasing.” My thought process went a bit like the following, “Since Paul, the eminent apostle prayed without ceasing and told us to emulate himself I should do it too.”
The pragmatic side of that mind also faced the details of life, study, family, and other things and wondered what Paul meant by “without ceasing?” Is there a to be continual prayer chatter running alongside everything I do? Not only so, who are my Ephesians? Who are the ones about whom I am to pray without ceasing?
You may see right through the difficulties I faced. Maybe you have ready answers for these challenges of my past spiritual quandaries. I don’t know that way back then I ever came up with a satisfying explanation for those compulsions. Life being the demanding master these worries became another item on the shelf in my mind. They have sat there gathering dust, and now these years later as I am re-studying these words, the librarian employed in my mind has come over to my table with a box. Down inside that box are those dusty dilemmas.
Leave a Reply