“Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.”
Ephesians 1:15-17 NLT
In a world of micro-interactions and social media, how often does our limited knowledge of another person’s spiritual journey give us pause to praise? How often do we allow it to fuel our own spiritual journey? Paul had evidently visited Ephesus after his journey through Corinth and planted a fledgling community of believers there. But unlike our current instant ability to gather information, it was often hard pressed to get news from another town in a timely manner. Paul didn’t know what had happened to that community in real-time. This didn’t mean that he was disconnected from it. The Covid 19 Pandemic showed people the need for face-to-face relationships, by highlighting how unadept our technologically reliant society was at it. People quickly felt that if they couldn’t be in person, they were disconnected in insurmountable ways, even with live streaming and zoom calls. How did Paul manage to stay tender towards Ephesus? By relying on prayer. Paul knew that the Spirit connected us. That through his Spirit, he could interact in intercessory ways and function together with Ephesus, even if physically apart. He took this power and opportunity as a means to direct this congregation and beseech opportunities for them and glean the same blessings from them. In this world, we don’t pray enough nor give thanks enough when something is out of sight. Suppose everyone followed Paul’s example of giving thanks for those we are distant from, interceding for their success, and allowing blessings in our lives from their growth, all through prayer. In that case, Christians might have an easier time in times of persecution and distance.
JOSH McGARY. COM 