Study Guide
Ephesians, Part 2 / Person, Plan, and Power / Ephesians 1:15-23
It’s easy for faith to become something we understand in our heads but rarely experience in our daily lives. Paul’s prayer invites believers into something deeper, where knowing God becomes personal and transformative. In Christ we already have full access to God’s presence, a living hope for His plan, and the power to change how we live. This is a journey from distant belief to real connection, a call to step into a relationship with God that is active, growing, and alive.
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Icebreakers
- If your life had a “warning label” on the back like a product at Target, what would it say?
- What is one knockoff food or drink item that tastes the same as, or even better than, the name brand? And what is one food or drink item where you absolutely need the name brand and won’t settle for a knockoff?
Read Ephesians 1:15-23
Discuss It
In Ephesians 1:17, Paul prays that God would give the believers “spiritual wisdom and insight (or revelation)” so they might grow in the knowledge of Him. By this, Paul is praying that they experience a fuller knowledge and deeper understanding of all that we have in Christ (1:3-14). Why do you think Paul stops and prays after laying out so much important theology of God’s work in salvation, sanctification, and glorification as expressed in Ephesians 1:3-14?
Additional Thought
The word “knowledge” in verse 17 is the Greek word “epignōsis,” which speaks to deep, thorough, and experiential knowledge of something. This knowledge of God is grounded in a life of faith, love, and a deep union with God. It is made possible by the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of a believer.
Additional Scripture
2 Peter 3:18 (NLT) Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever!
Additional Question
Similar to Ephesians 1:17 and 2 Peter 3:18, Paul’s prayer is not just that believers would gain more information about God, but that they would grow in a deeper, more intimate relationship with Jesus than ever before. How does knowing Jesus at this deeper level shape how we live out our faith?
Did you notice that while Paul prays for the church in Ephesus, he does not ask that God allow them to live comfortable or easy lives? Instead, he prays that they would know the confident hope they’ve been given in Christ. This type of hope will anchor them despite their circumstance or hardships. If God’s hope is meant to anchor us through hardship, not remove us from it, how does that change the way you think about God’s plans for your life?
Additional Thought
Throughout Scripture, “hope” is never presented as a denial of reality. The Greek word for hope in Ephesians 1:18 is elpis, which is defined as an expectation of what is sure/certain. Biblical hope is not pretending the storm isn’t happening; it’s being anchored to the character of God while the storm is happening.
Additional Scripture
Romans 5:3-5
Additional Question
Why do we often expect God’s plan to be comfortable when so much of Scripture shows that God often works through hardship? How do you hold onto hope when difficult circumstances don’t immediately change?
In Ephesians 1:19-20, Paul says that the power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power available for us today. However, many of us choose to live the Christian life in our own strength as if the power of Christ is distant rather than present and active in us. Where are you most prone to rely on your own effort instead of God’s power? What do you think keeps you from actually leaning on His strength in those areas?
Additional Thought
Culturally, we tend to see weakness as a failure we need to overcome or fix before God can really use us. In Scripture, God consistently reveals to us that it’s in our weakness that His power works best. This is why Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” because dependence is not a limitation in the Kingdom of God; it’s the starting point to experience His power.
Additional Scripture
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NLT)
Additional Question
Where in your life do you tend to see weakness as failure to overcome, instead of the very place that God wants to meet you with His power? Can you share a time when you’ve seen God reveal His strength in your time of weakness?
Apply It
Ephesians 1:22-23 (NLT)
We don’t access what Paul is praying for in this section by effort or striving, but by surrendering to the One who already holds all things together. It’s in the posture of “Lord, I need You,” that our eyes are opened to see what is already true…His presence, His hope, and His power at work in us.
This week, where do you need to shift from self-reliance into surrender so you can actually see what God has already made available in Christ?
Pray
How can we be praying for you this week?
About the Current Sermon Series
God has always had a plan. The book of Ephesians reveals the incredible story of God’s plan to bring salvation to all people through Jesus Christ and unite them into one family. In this 13-week series, we’ll discover what it means to live with purpose as people who have been chosen, redeemed, and called by God. Along the way, we’ll explore how the Holy Spirit transforms our everyday relationships—with family, friends, the Church, and the world around us. Ephesians is an invitation to step into God’s greater story and live the kind of life we were created for.