One of my favorite ways of praying for new Christians is taught in Ephesians 1:15-16, which says, "For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers" (Eph. 1:15-16 NIV).
This is how Paul began to pray for these Christians once he heard they had put their faith in Christ Jesus. Notice how he continued in prayer for them: "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better" (Eph. 1:17 NIV).
We should ask God to give new Christians the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. This means we are asking God to release the Holy Spirit in their lives, enabling them to understand the Bible and God. Spiritual wisdom comes from God. When someone is given spiritual wisdom they can understand the Bible and God. In addition, Paul prayed:
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.We can ask God to enlighten their hearts or open their spiritual eyes. When God does this, they can know and understand the truth.
(Eph. 1:18-20 NIV)
Paul asked God to open their eyes in three areas. We should ask God to open the eyes of the new Christian in these same three areas.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Joe Cameneti Sr. is the lead pastor of Believers Church, located in his hometown of Warren, Ohio. Pastor Joe, along with his wife Gina, pioneered Believers Church in 1983 following his graduation from Bible School.
In addition to leading a thriving local church, Pastor Joe is the host of a weekly show called "BCTV." The program is aired locally, reaching over 30,000 people each month.
Pastor Joe is a gifted communicator, skilled in the art of building bridges to unchurched America. Transparent and authentic, you'll walk away challenged and encouraged to connect with God in a deeper way.
