Ephesians 1: The Heart for the Saints

From Ephesians 1:15-22, the heart we need to have for fellow believers:

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

When we ourselves hear of faith and Christian love in a body of believers, we need to pray for that group.  We may have disagreements over doctrine and practice with others, but our prayers should still ascend to the Lord for those who claim Christ and demonstrate true faith.

And would that our prayers would be this rich and doxological.  If our prayers are dry and listless, if we relentlessly use the same phrases over and over, we should definitely dip into Scripture and use prayers like this to send our own soaring above.