PTTS: Ephesians 1:7-10

Praying Through the Scriptures: Ephesians 1:7-10

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth."

Father, let me give praise to You for the work of Your Son, the Beloved.

My trespasses are numerous and severe against You. You would be just to condemn and punish me with the tortures of Hell. I cannot make any excuse for them. Your justice demands that these sins be punished.

By the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus has bore my sins through the riches of His grace. His blood was spilled to purchase the redemption of His people, the forgiveness of their sins. It not by the work of my hands that I claim such forgiveness, but simply by faith in His Gospel. Help me to cherish this fact…let me count this forgiveness as the greatest of all treasures.

Break my mind free from the bondage of looking at the temporal as if it is the eternal. Let me not treasure wealth or physical beauty. Do not let me find security in my bank account or my situations. Instead, let me see myself as rich, trusting Your Word and the promises it contains for those redeemed by the blood of Christ.

Help me to understand the depths of the grace lavished out upon the Church. Let me remember how the priests of the Old Covenant had to sacrifice blood again and again, yet it still could not atone for the sins of men. Let me remember the wrath of God that came to those who were not under the blood of the Passover. Let me appreciate my salvation, and the salvation that you have bestowed upon those believers whom I love in my family and in my church.

I give thanks to You for making known to me the mystery of Your will. I now understand that it is Your pleasure that all glory belongs to Jesus Christ. He is the purpose of all of history. He is the focus of all of the Scriptures. Whether on earth or in the heavens, it is His name that should be magnified and praised. As Your Word clearly states, Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, and the glory of God is summed up in His person. May my thoughts and my words convey that wisdom.

Please restore the central focus of the glory of Christ to the churches to which we belong. Let our worship clearly center upon Jesus Christ instead of focusing on our worldly needs. Let our evangelism stress His righteousness instead of cheap grace. Let our Christian families and fellowship find satisfaction in discussing the majesty of our Savior instead of amusement and the tedious aspects of this world.