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TITLE: A New Year’s Prayer for the Household of God – Eph.6:10-24 AIM: Follow Paul’s heart (& God’s) in prayer for the people of God. INTRO: Happy New Year! After yr of working thru Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, we’ve reach the end as we begin 2014. By the way he wrote, we can see Paul’s heart for the Ephesian believers, w/whom spent several yrs. Now that he was in prison & moving toward the end of his life, as well as the end of the epistle, can see that his burden on for them, for their spiritual & overall welfare, that might be healthy & strong. As you know, our theme for 2013 was HofG, understanding from Scripture that we who are in Christ are the HofG, & seeking to understand from Scripture what it means to be the HofG. I hope we have gained some understanding of that. Well, the very matters Paul wrote about in the last of this pastoral letter to Eph are worthwhile prayer concerns for all the HofG & for this local HofG which is VACC. May I offer the following as my pastoral prayer for you in this New Year just beginning. I would be remiss, of course, if I did not pray the prayers that Paul himself prayed in chap1 & 3 – 1st in chap1, that God would “give you a spirit of wisdom & understanding in the knowledge of Him,” enlightening the eyes of your hearts, that you might know “the hope to which He has called you,” “the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,” & “the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe.” May you know Him better & better in 2014, your lives grounded & filled w/confidence in Him. And in chap3, that God would strengthen you “w/power thru His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts thru faith – that you, being rooted & grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend w/all the saints” the immeasurable vastness of God’s love & know that love personally & “be filled w/all the fullness of God.” May you be confident of God’s love for you in Christ, awed & motivated by His love, deepening in your relationship w/Him. Now let’s consider Paul’s thoughts at the end of his epistle, 6:10-24 [READ]. As Paul desired for the Ephesian Christians, I pray that you may also be clothed w/, put on the whole armor of God – the truth covering that God has provided - & thus be able in this New Year to stand strong/firm, against the schemes of the devil. I pray that God’s truth would surround you & guard you; that you would believe & rest in the truth that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to/counts for you who believe. I pray that you would give yourself fully to the Lord Jesus Christ who would impart His righteousness to you as well. I pray that you may be fully confident in your relationship w/God, knowing that your faith in Christ has made you His children. I pray that your faith would be as a shield for you, to extinguish the lies thrown at you by Satan; that the sure hope of God’s salvation & triumph would be as a helmet for you, giving you confidence for each day ahead, knowing that He will always lead you in His triumph in Christ, trusting that He will not fail nor forsake you. I pray that God’s word would indeed be a sword for you, wielded by the Holy Spirit in your life to make you able to stand against & resist temptation, cutting thru the lies, but also piercing your own heart, cutting away the dead flesh of the old man. I pray that your prayers will be led by the Holy Spirit at all times, that you will be able to hear Him & follow His lead, that your prayers will be fully answered because you are praying according to the will of God. I pray that the cries of your heart will touch the heart of God, & even more imp that those things on God’s heart will touch & move your heart. Paul asked the Ephesian believers to pray for him as he spoke the word of God, giving the gospel to those he encountered. I pray that your witness & mine will be bright & effective in 2014, as the Holy Spirit puts upon our hearts those who are lost & moves us to pray & gives us opportunity to share the gospel. As he concluded the epistle, Paul wrote that he was sending Tychicus to them – probably someone familiar to the Ephesians – whom Paul described as a “beloved brother & faithful minister in the Lord.” Very possible he was the currier of the letter from Paul to the Ephesian church. The reason Paul was sending him was so he could tell the Ephesian believers that Paul was doing ok – so their hearts might be encouraged. I would pray that God would encourage your hearts in this New Year. Some of you have been discouraged, because of losses you have suffered & difficulties you have faced, or failures you have experienced. We know that difficulties & losses & failures will come, but may you be encouraged not with the absence of difficulty, but w/the presence of God – His nearness, strength, comfort, help. Then Paul continued his conclusion w/the benediction of vs23-24. He desired “peace to the brothers.” I think this is inner peace, a calm center, come what may, based on their faith in Christ & confidence in God. I pray you may know this peace as well – peace of heart & mind, no matter what the circumstances. As Paul wrote in Colossians, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,” I pray that will be true for you. Rest in peace while you live! Paul certainly desired peace between the Ephesian believers as well. May we have peace w/one another. There’s going to be times of disagreement, but that doesn’t have to mean discord. Paul also desired the blessing of love for his bro/sis in Ephesus. It’s interesting that he stated it as “love w/faith.” May you know love this New Year – believing by faith that God loves you – some of you have a struggle w/that. Oswald Chambers, in his devotional message, “Keep Yourselves in the Love of God,” wrote: “Drink deep & full of the love of God & you will not demand the impossible from earth’s loves, & the love of wife & child, of husband & friend, will grow holier & healthier & simpler & grander.” Knowing God’s love for you enhances your love for others & emboldens your service for Christ. Finally, Paul desired grace for his Ephesian bro/sis. We understand grace as “unmerited favor,” God’s unmerited favor. None of us deserve any of God’s favor, but if we are in Christ we have received all of God’s favor! We are saved by grace & sanctified by grace. God has lavished His grace upon us – grace, grace, marvelous grace; grace that exceeds our sin & our guilt; grace to believe, grace training us to say no to ungodliness. Paul desires grace for the Ephesian believers, & I desire grace for you today & every day you live. God’s grace be w/you. May the grace of our Lord be w/you now & always! Note that Paul said “Grace be w/all who love our Lord Jesus Christ w/love incorruptible.” We actually need God’s grace to love Him as we ought, Him pouring out His love in our hearts & His love flowing thru us back to Him & out to others. Starts & ends w/God. All of what we pray for you depends on God – His grace, His working, His touch. But this very statement also shows us that there is some small sense in which it depends upon us. Our focus needs to be on God, our faith must take hold of His truth/ promises. We need to take up the Word of God – reading, studying, meditating, memorizing, that it might be a sword for us. We must spend time in prayer, seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must pray for the lost & seek opportunities to tell them the gospel. We need to be still & know God, receiving by faith His peace & love & grace. Grace is promised to the humble, so we must humble ourselves before God. In short, by God’s grace & leading, we must begin this New Year as we must begin each day: surrender to our Lord & King. I challenge you, wherever you are spiritually, to commit your life to Christ. Don’t know Him? Bow before your King – receive Him by faith as your Savior/ Lord. Child of God? Surrender your life to Him, to know Him more, to serve Him faithfully, to trust Him w/your life. May we be a healthy & faithful Household of God, effective for Christ in 2014 & beyond! Happy New Year!