Paul’s Prayer List

      Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. Ephesians 1:15-23
         Allow me to give you first an understanding of who Paul was. Paul was a Jew born in Tarus, capital of Cilicia his given name was Saul. He was of the tribe of Benjamin. Paul was a Pharisee, as on of a Pharisee. He lived as a Pharisee and kept the law according to the strictest sect of the religion, Hebrew of Hebrews, faultless in legalistic righteousness (Phil 3:5). The Pharisees were a major Jewish sect whose insistence on ritual observance of the letter rather than the spirit of the law provoked strong denunciation by Jesus; he called them "white washed tombs" (Matt. 23:27) and self-righteous lovers of display (Matt. 6:1-6, 16-18). Saul before being renamed Paul wanted to preserve the way of the Pharisees and he did not accept that Jesus was the Messiah. Saul, the Pharisee, persecuted the followers of "The Way" to their death (Acts 22:4). God in his wisdom chose to use this intelligent, sharp zealous deadly persecutor for the promotion of His Kingdom. But first this Pharisee of darkness had to see the light.
Saul is on his way to Damascus sees a great light and he became blind. In Acts 9:4-5 Jesus rebukes Saul. Jesus instructs him to proceed to Damascus. In Damascus Saul fasts and prays. Ananias is used to restore Saul's sight. (Acts 9:17-18) From Persecutor to Preacher: Having his sight restored, Saul is baptized, recovers, and at once begins to preach. Saul travel extensively to build up the local church, but the continued to write abundantly to the churches in the regions, to edify them, to chastise them, to encourage them. Paul wrote to the congregations of believers of the gospel of Christian Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossi and Thessalonica. All of this to say that Paul was an Apostle of Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:1 informs us, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother.
There are several items Paul prays to God and intercedes to God, for the church. The list Paul compiles is a daily list we the church of God should seek for ourselves and others. None of the petition was physical but spiritual in nature. The prayers were not center around him but others. From verse 15 to 22 it was centered on prayer, intercession and pleading to the Throne of Grace for others.
Verse 15 and 16 he thanks God about our salvation. (Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers) Look at the word faith in this passage it is talking about saving faith also, the agape love which we receive when we become born again. Paul praise God for the Christians in Ephesus that were ground in faith. Which this faith produces love, agape love. Galatians 5:6 is where Paul says, “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” This faith and love Paul was thankful that the Christians in Ephesus had and were saved. Faith and love was the evidence of their salvation.
         That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. In verse 17 Paul prays that they will receive the Spirit of revelation. Revelation means in this particular passage greater understanding. The revelation was to know Jesus better. Paul prays this so that you may know him better. Paul's passion is to know Christ (Philippians 3:7-11, But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. He holds Christ in such high esteem that he wants every other believer to know how wonderful and how great he is. The Christian's life is one of progress. We should desire to keep moving towards greater knowledge of Jesus, greater wisdom and holiness.
         The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. They have already been enlightened by the word of truth, and have responded to that enlightenment with genuine faith. But Paul wants them to keep on being enlightened by the truth, they will the know the hope to which Christ had called them, the riches of the inheritance of Christ and know Christ's incomparably great power that is active for all believers.
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. Paul also describes God's power as “mighty strength”. Paul wants us to know that there is nothing stronger than God's power nothing that can undo what he has done for us, nothing, as he says in Romans 8:28-39, what can separate us from his love for us in Christ, because there is nothing that has the power and nothing that has the authority. No strength is stronger than his not even the strength of our sin. God power and authority exercised was confirmed in the resurrection of Christ from the dead and in God's raising Christ up to the position of authority seated at his right hand.
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. Jesus is in a place of spiritual authority over every created being, animal, vegetable, mineral, demon or angel, saint or sinner, over every other pompous name or title or position of honor in this world or the next. Christ is exalted over all of this. All this will come and go and turn to dust and ashes, but Christ will remain.
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. God has placed all things under Christ's feet. This prayer concludes with a marvelous vision of the Church. The church is the recipient of Christ's conquering and headship over all things. It is “for the church.” Christ values the church extremely highly, since his work is to directly benefit the church. The church is his Body. He is the head; we are the body, the hands and fingers, the voices and feet. We are Christ's music and spokesmen, his messengers and workers, his lovers-of-humanity and his clear eyes of acceptance and forgiveness and love. We are his representatives. The church, are the fullness of Christ, who fills and fulfills everything. We are to be the full expression of Christ. We are to be so filled with Christ that our content becomes Him, that our love becomes blended with His love, that our laughter echoes his own joy, that our sacrifice mirrors his. We are to be the fullness of Christ. Indeed, we are “complete in Him”. (Colossians 2:10 states, and ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power).
This is the prayer list of Paul
1.          Ground in Faith
2.          Love true agape love resulting for faith
3.          Increased Wisdom
4.          Deeper Revelation (understanding)
5.          The heritance of the saints
6.          To understand God great power
7.          Jesus authority as the head of the body