315 Kerens Ave, Elkins, WV 26241 | 304-636-0660

​September 1 -- Ephesians 1:15-23


Thanksgiving and Prayer Introduction – This was written to the church in Ephesus:


15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 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. 18 I pray 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 his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.


Have You Stopped Giving Thanks? In Prayer Its Important to Persevere. Never Quit Too Soon. How many times have I come close to my breakthrough in God and I quit just short of seeing the fullness of God’s blessing?


What type of reputation are interested in having? When the day is done, what do you really want to be known for? I want to be known as a person of prayer who carried faith with him into every relationship. Most Christians desire this as a descriptor of their faith walk, but why don’t we all have it?


Let’s dig in a bit church! Are you a thankful person? How should I know? What marks the thankfulness quotient in the life of a believer? • … carry a positive outlook into every day and relationship. • … see people for their best and not their worst. • … is humble.


Why is it that the first person(s) that come to mind as I am preparing this message are the people that most certainly do not carry these traits? Lets call that human nature folks. You don’t get the gift just because that is how you want people to see you.

• You must know the Lord. Do you know God? Do you have a relationship with Him through His Son Jesus?

• You must have a love for his people?


I love all of God’s children. Really? With no exceptions? What about the lazy, the poor, the immigrant, those with different life views than my own, those I disagree with, those that just seem to rub me the wrong way… still love them too.


It is inauthentic to say we are a friendly church if we are not. It is inauthentic to say that we welcome all peoples if we do not. Church, I’ve got work to do and God is our helper here. Church, God is not finished with us yet. He has work for us to do and we do not do it he will call someone else. If we don’t praise him then he has promised to call the rocks to praise him in our bless. As the gospel song writer proclaims in in-proper English, “Ain’t no rock gonna cry in my place, for as long as I am alive I am gonna praise His name!”


Are you on board? Don’t just say yes because that is the answer you know I want to hear. I want to hear your answer even if I don’t like it.


The Thankful Challenge. Am I overly critical, a complainer or one who heaps condemnation down on my brother and sisters? Here is the challenge, for every negative comment I will make to a member of my family this week, I must make five positive ones. Are you up for the challenge? You will have to honestly hold the negative ones until you have compiled the inordinate number of positive comments to compensate for your own negative within your inner circle.


Can we ask just anyone to be our prayer partner? What do you think? What is required in being a prayer partner? Trust in relationship must be established for anyone to entrust the next person in the pew to share their deepest needs or pains. We don’t start at this level but this level is possible in our body as we grow together and deepen the connection between ourselves and God and the members of the body here with us. This is chief example of what Natasha our youth minister was talking about when she announced the new emphasis on “pick a sheep.” Aren’t you impressed at how good God is when he speaks about the same needs to more than one of us to bring the body together and make our connection that much stronger. We need each other.


How many times do you have to ask someone to do something before you do it yourself? Be careful with your answer. Is it not easier to do it yourself and never mentor someone else in your family or circle. Let me tell you a little something about what I have learned from the Amish community. They have placed a specific high value on community, partnership and helping one another. They vote on every new development and recent technology. Can we permit this new item in our community or will it cause us to become more isolated from one another by its acceptance. We can have a phone but it must be placed on the edge of the property so it is useful but not convenient. Some implements used on the farm are a no-no because they would decrease the need for human cooperation or workers. You can but a pair of roller blades because this doesn’t hurt our community as we can do this together just like walking, running or riding a bike.


Have you stopped counting your blessings? Have you stopped naming them one by one? Have you stop seeing what God has done? Some days are marked by negatives or complaints or the less thans. But this cannot be every day in the body of believers.


What builds morale among a community of faith? Encouragers do. Thankfulness does. Humility and self-sacrifice always opens the door for renewed relationship and demonstrations of humility. Stop asking what can the other in the relationship do for you and start taking the initiative, walking across the street or picking up the phone. I wish so and so would pay attention to me, reach to me, act like I mattered to them. Prime the pump my friend and give away that which you are wishing to receive from others. This is not manipulation. This is the spiritual principle of sowing and reaping. You will reap what you sow. Not directly, not the same day but there is a spiritual blessing in following Jesus and the fruit will come and ultimately the best fruit is eternal in the lives of men, women and children.


This message and this sermon series for September is all about learning how to pray. Why should I learn how to pray? The language we use and the Spirit we carry determine the quality of our prayers and communication with God. How do you communicate with God best? What ways do you prefer to speak to God and allow Him to speak with you? Have you ever thought about these questions in your life as a Christian believer? Does it matter? Can I practice, improve and grow in my prayer life?


What “words” should I pray? Let’s talk about intercessory prayer.


1. I am praying for you: THAT GOD GIVES YOU THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION, SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW HIM BETTER (The first three things)


GOAL: THAT I KNOW HIM BETTER. How? By receiving the SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION. What are they? Wisdom is, by definition, the ability to know how to function in the midst of a challenging situation. Which one of us doesn’t need wisdom everyday?


I am praying for you: 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 HIS HOLY PEOPLE, AND HIS INCOMPARABLY GREAT POWER FOR