#1378. I have not stopped giving thanks and praying (3/11/25)
- Matt Beaney
- Nov 3
- 4 min read
Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we Continue our Ephesians series: Ephesians - To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God.
In our last reflection on verses 13–14, we saw how Christians are ‘sealed with the Holy Spirit’ as a guarantee of their inheritance of eternal life and glory in Christ. Today, we see that:
We are called to faithfully give thanks and pray into the work that God is doing.
You can listen to this devotional below
‘For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.’ (Ephesians 1:15-16)
1. For this reason
Paul tells us that he has a reason - he’s been stirred by God - to pray continually for these believers. Prayer is not easy; it’s often neglected because we lack motivation. At its root, prayerlessness often reveals a lack of faith or vision - we forget why prayer matters. Like Paul, God wants to fuel our faith with compelling reasons to pray.
2. Paul is praying because he has heard about your faith and love
Paul’s reason for prayer is clear:
‘For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people…’
Why does this inspire him? Because faith and love are the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22). They are evidence of the Spirit’s life and power at work, proof that these believers have been born again.
Paul is essentially saying, ‘I see God at work in you, so I’m thanking Him and joining Him in his work by praying for more of His work in you.’
We see the same principle in his letter to the Thessalonians:
‘We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Thessalonians 1:2–3)
He then explains the reason for this prayerful thankfulness:
‘For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction... You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.’ (1 Thessalonians 1:4–7)
Paul’s pattern is clear: wherever he sees God’s grace at work, he responds with thanksgiving and intercession. This is a model for us: we are to notice evidence of God’s Spirit in others and partner with Him through prayer for more growth, grace, and fruitfulness
Response
Do we notice the Spirit’s work in others, and are we quick to give thanks and pray into what He is already doing?
Let us ask God to open our eyes to His grace at work in His people, so that, like Paul, we too will ‘not stop giving thanks and remembering them in prayer.’
Community Group Notes
This week is ’SIV’ Week, where we will give much more time to sharing and praying about how we are seeking to bring the gospel to our friends and community.
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
THIS WEEK IS SIV (SERVE INVEST AND INVITE) WEEK.
What is SIV?
SIV stands for Serve, Invest, and Invite. This is our very simple strategy to help bring our community to Jesus. We believe that God has placed us in relationships and in specific locations to be 'salt and light.' and to ‘fish for people’. We can effectively bring people to Jesus by 'Serving' them - demonstrating the love of Christ in practical ways; by 'Investing' in the people to whom we feel the Spirit is leading us; and by 'Inviting' them into our homes by showing hospitality and inviting them to church events, to Alpha, and ultimately, inviting them to come to Jesus through the gospel.
Along with a brief reflection on Sunday’s text, Let's spend this time sharing, thinking and praying about how God wants to work through us to help our communities to come to Jesus.
Our message from Ephesians 1:15-21, was: Understand the Spirit’s work, give thanks and pray for His work. Please read Ephesians 1:15-21. What, from this text, is helpful and inspirational in regard to growing in effectively bringing the gospel to our friends and community?
Who are you regularly praying for to come to Christ?
Do you have any encouraging stories to share - how have you served, invested and invited?
Do you have any plans for how you plan to serve, invest and invite in the places and to the people that God has given to you? Why not make a note so that you can pray and hold yourself accountable?
Are you planning to, or could you, do anything together as a group?
Let's pray for ourselves and our community together. Let's pray for the particular people that God is putting on your heart. Let's pray for the Holy Spirit to empower and direct us in how to Serve, Invest and Invite.
Note - a very practical thing to do, is to think about who you might want to invite to our upcoming carol service (7th December) and to sign up for carol singing (30th November).
Comments