Consistent and sincere prayer remains essential for the church’s unity and growth. Rather than neglecting God’s power through prayer, Tyler Briggs teaches us how we should imitate Paul as he bowed before God to fulfill the spiritual needs of the church in Ephesus. Ultimately, prayer serves as God’s ordained means for the church to grow numerically and spiritually.

Tyler’s Main Points

• Praying for the church is significant for our spiritual growth.
• Praying for the church is selfless because it declares our dependence on God.
• Praying for the church is selfless because it puts the needs of the church above your own.
• Prayers for the church prioritize the spiritual needs of the church.

Key Takeaways

• What grows the church? God is the one who graciously grows the church numerically and spiritually.
  
  
• When it comes to prayer:
  1) We don’t pray.
  2) When we do pray, it’s self-centered.
  3) We don’t think prayer makes a difference.
  
  
• Paul’s pattern in Ephesians and throughout his epistles is instruction leads to intercession. Paul understands his powerlessness to bring about change and hits his knees in prayer.  
  
  
• The Father’s heart is to generously give growth to those who ask. He is not reluctant, but eager to help strengthen, comfort, and change his church.  
  
  
• Paul’s physical posture matches the posture of His heart. He recognizes who God is and who he is not.
  
  
• To not pray is one of the most selfish things we can do. Prayerlessness expresses that we don’t need God, we are good enough on our own, and we can bring about change by our own ability.
  
  
• Paul demonstrates a high view of God and high value of others. He knows the church’s greatest need is to know and experience God’s infinite love.  
  
  
• Throughout Paul’s prayers, he reflects the heart of Christ to bring the needs of others before God.
  
  
• If we truly love one another, we will pray for one another.
  
  
• Paul’s prayers are largely spiritual in substance. However, he isn’t minimizing the physical needs of the church, but magnifying the spiritual needs of the church.
  
  
• As Tyler gleaned from Proverbs 4:23, “The quality of one’s life flows from the condition of one’s heart.”
  
  

Discussion Questions/Application

Personal application:

• Set aside time to personally pray Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 for yourself, your family, your community group, Watermark, and Christ’s universal church.
  

Discuss with your community group:

• Does your prayer life reflect prayer as significant? Are you sincere and selfless in your prayers? Do you prioritize your spiritual needs and the spiritual needs of others through prayer? Spend time encouraging one another in this area.
  
  
• Pray for the spiritual needs of one another and our church.
  

Passages Referenced for Further Study

Ephesians 3:14-21; Ephesians 2:1-22; Ephesians 1:3-14; Ephesians 1:15-23; 1 Corinthians 3:5-7; Matthew 7:7-11; John 15:13; Matthew 6:31-33; Proverbs 4:23.