Scripture and Prayer (Ephesians 1:15-23)
Rev. Nick Cheek
Twentieth Century Theologian, Karl Barth said that “Prayer is the act by which we accept and make use of a divine gift.” Prayer a divine gift. But I wonder, do we really think of it that way? Something Holy… a gift given to us from God?
I want you to do me a favor church. Look back on this past week and think about the times you said a prayer – out loud, or to yourself. What were they for? Who was on your mind? What situation in the world or in your life were you concerned about? This past week you may have said a pray for strength… that that God would give you the courage to face a daunting task. Perhaps you prayed for your family – spouse, parents, children, grandchildren, pets – that God would walk with them and keep them safe and healthy. Maybe at some point this week, you found yourself lifting up a prayer—not just for yourself or your family—but for the world. For our world’s leaders—that they might lead with wisdom, humility, and compassion. That their decisions would be guided by justice and truth.
Or perhaps your prayer was for peace…
For reconciliation in places where conflict has become the norm, where neighbors see each other as enemies, and where war has stolen futures and fractured communities. Maybe you thought of Ukraine or Gaza, or Sudan—places where children grow up knowing the sound of sirens better than laughter.
As church going people… we know that prayer is supposed to be an important part of our lives, but if you’re human like me, than you’ve struggled with prayer – you’ve struggle to understand its significance and meaning in our day to day. Why do we pray? Do we pray because we’re supposed to? Do we pray because Jesus told us to? Do we pray because we want something from God?
Church, I wish I could give you the perfect answer, but there isn’t one. There is no equation for prayer… there is no magic recipe for it. Prayer isn’t about mixing up a bunch of religious words together either. Prayer isn’t mathematical… it isn’t even that logical really.
Prayer is more of a mystery – it’s a practice that involved our heads, but even more so, our hearts. And for all these reasons, it’s no wonder we struggle with prayer.
I’m even willing to bet the Apostle Paul had a hard time with it. But even so, Paul believed that it was a gift…. he believed that prayer was vital for the growth and transformation of the church and her people. Through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians we are given an interesting perspective on prayer – a focus really. And to make the rest of this sermon easier church, I’m going to give you three tips on prayer from our passage this morning. Are you ready?
Tip 1 – We pray to grow in our understanding and awareness of God’s presence. Paul writes, “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him.” At its purest intent – prayer is a gift that helps us connect with a living God. As we pray… as we seek God… we acknowledge our need for the Spirit to enter in and give us wisdom…to reveal to us more about who God is… and what that means for us. In a way, prayer acts as a confession of sorts – an honest confession… “God, I need your help… in order to understand more of who you are.” That’s an honest prayer. Every Sunday we have a prayer of illumination before we read the Scriptures. It is a way to center ourselves, and to open ourselves up to learn from God. We ask for God to teach us, to draw us closer and to widen our minds so that we might comprehend the written Word and apply it appropriately to our lives. To put this another way, prayer sort of acts as a seasoning to our faith. When prayer is sprinkled upon the Scriptures it brings out its flavor, it reminds us that this book is alive, that it is more than just words on a page, but rather, words etched on our hearts. Now this gift of prayer, it is not meant only for Sunday mornings… we’re invited to use it whenever and all the time if we like. For example, when we sprinkle prayer in our homes, it reminds us and our children that God doesn’t just live in this sanctuary but can be found in every corner of the earth. When prayer is sprinkled in the morning before we start our day, it is a reminder that God’s peace is with us no matter what challenge we face. When prayer is sprinkled in the midst of disagreements and conflict, it is a reminder that God’s spirit desires reconciliation and unity. When prayer is sprinkled in the midst of anger and frustration it urges us to receive a spirit of patience. It is as though the sprinkling of prayer reassures us that we are not alone.
Every prayer we think, speak or feel… acts as an acknowledgement of the ever-present God of grace in our lives.
This brings us to Paul’s Second Tip
Tip 2 – We pray because it opens our hearts to hope – Paul writes, “I pray that with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know the hope to which God has called you.”
Prayer enlightens our hearts so that we believe in hope. It acts as a key to our hearts – a key that gives our hearts the vision to see beyond what is before us… hearts to believe in possibilities… hearts that convince us to press on in the midst of challenge and disappointment. [Pause] I find it interesting that Paul speaks of the heart here, because he was known to be an intellectual. He spent a lot of his time up here (point to your brain) before encountering Christ. After his heart was cracked open by Christ, he disregarded all logic and spent the rest of his life as a Christian missionary. As a missionary, Paul faced hardship – shipwrecks, he was arrested, beaten, left half dead, just to name a few. During his journeys, there must have been moments when his faith battered so much that he was to the point of giving up. Perhaps it was in those moments that a prayer of hope kept him going.
Have you ever been through a similar season—a time when you were ready to give up hope?
There’s someone I used to work with when I served at a large church in Charlotte. This person was a member of the custodial staff, someone most people might overlook. But if you ever met him, you’d remember him. He was hardworking, kind, generous—and always ready to share a laugh. He also happened to be one of the most quietly faithful people I’ve ever met.
His story—one that’s been shared publicly on national television—is one of brokenness, desperation… and ultimately, redemption.
He grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. Life was hard from the beginning. He dropped out of school in the third grade—third grade—and by the time he was 16, he had started using drugs. What began as casual use spiraled into full-blown addiction. Cocaine took over his life. He was in and out of juvenile detention centers throughout his teenage years. By the time he was 27, he was living on the streets—homeless, hungry, and without hope.
One cold winter, in a moment of desperation, he made a decision: he committed a crime. Not because he wanted to, but because jail meant shelter. Jail meant food. Jail, at least, meant survival. But when he stood before the judge, the judge shocked him by saying, “I’m not sending you back to prison.” And just like that, he was back on the street—this time with even less than he’d had before.
That was the night he nearly gave up completely. He found a friend on the street who gave him a gun. He made up his mind to end it all. He had the weapon. He had the plan. But when he pulled the trigger… nothing happened. The gun wouldn’t fire. Furious, heartbroken, and feeling utterly forsaken, he hurled the gun to the ground and cursed God with every word he could think of.
And then something strange happened. The gun, lying there in the dirt, began to go off. One shot. Then another. Then another. Every single bullet fired—right into the ground beside him. He sat there, stunned. Weeping. And in the midst of that moment—sitting in the cold, alone and trembling—that man found himself praying. It was the first time in years he had spoken to God. And even though he had nothing to offer… God listened.
After that experience, something changed. It wasn’t instant. There was no magic. But he became determined to turn his life around. He reconnected with his wife and children. He tried to find work—but with a criminal record and ongoing struggles with alcohol, doors kept slamming in his face.
Eventually, through a series of introductions, he found himself in the office of a local pastor. A member of the church had met him and brought him in, hoping there might be some odd jobs around the building. As he sat down across from the pastor, the pastor asked one simple question:
“What are you good at?”
Now, that’s a tough question for anyone. But this man didn’t dodge it. He answered honestly: “In my life,” he said, “all I’ve been good at is drinking, smoking, stealing, and ruining my life.” The pastor was speechless for a moment. What do you say to that? But then the man added, “I’m just asking you for one chance. One. I’m asking you to trust me.”
Now church, let’s be honest. What would you have done? Most of us—if we’re thinking rationally—would’ve said no. It doesn’t make sense. It’s too risky.
Why take a chance on someone who’s already burned so many bridges? But something inside the pastor nudged him. Something deeper than logic or reason. A holy whisper that said, “Hope.” So the pastor leaned forward and said, “Okay. But just one chance. If I even smell mouthwash on your breath, you’re gone. Do we have a deal?” “Deal,” he said.
That was the moment. Right there, in that office—with nothing but brokenness and a mustard seed of trust between them—they made a promise. A prayerful promise. They dared to hope that something new was possible.
And church, that’s what prayer can do. It can persuade us to see differently. It can soften our hearts. It moves us from fear to faith. From resignation to resurrection. Prayer invites us to see through a different lens—not the lens of reality, but of possibility. Not the logic of this world, but the grace of God. Prayer opens our hearts to hope.
And that brings us to the third tip we learn from Paul’s prayer…
Tip 3 – We pray so that we never give up –
Paul begins our section of scripture this morning with these words. “I do not cease… to remember you in my prayers.” Paul’s commitment to praying is plain here – He’s not a quitter. He doesn’t stop praying and therefore, he doesn’t stop hoping.
Paul doesn’t stop hoping that God will continue to move in and through him, through the church and through the world. For Paul, praying is hoping and hoping is praying. It’s the same thing. Through our prayers we are given a vision of the way things could be. Through our prayers we see a better day. And when we pray for the things that we hope for, we have no other choice than to also work towards them ourselves. When you pray for a better relationship with your spouse or family member, you season it with hope and therefore, you find the strength to work towards it. When you pray for unity in our nation, you season it with hope… and therefor you work for it in your daily relationships with people who are different from you. When you pray for the children in our town who are suffering from hunger, you hope for a day when all are fed… but you also work for it. Praying invites us to never stop hoping… but it also invites us to never stop working towards the fulfillment of our prayers.
Martin Luther said this of prayer, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” For Freddie this is true. Prayer was exactly what gave him the hope to keep on breathing.
5 years ago Freddie, who at age 27 couldn’t read or write, graduated from Queens University of Charlotte with a degree in human studies. He also recently celebrated 35 years sober. That’s a prayer of hope lived out well.
Friends – where in your life do you need prayer… and for what are you hoping for? How is God illuminating your heart for the world and for the people around you? Don’t wait. Don’t wait for this prayer inside you to fade away… instead, listen to it… speak it… and respond to it in faith hope and love. And know that with every prayer we are reminded of the ever-present God of grace in our lives.
In the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.