How to Pray for Someone
This Week in Lifegroups - Sunday February 1, 2026
This week, we started week 2 of our new sermon series on the book of Ephesians.
In this message, we explored Ephesians 1 about the Apostle Paul, who even while imprisoned carried the Ephesian church on his heart and consistently prayed for them. Like the Old Testament priests who wore breastplates with 12 stones representing the tribes of Israel, Paul carried the names of believers before the Lord in prayer.
Paul's prayer from Ephesians 1:15-23 reveals three specific spiritual realities he wanted the Ephesians to see with enlightened eyes:
The hope to which God has called them.
The riches of God's glorious inheritance in the saints.
The immeasurable greatness of God's resurrection power at work in their lives.
These are not mere concepts to understand intellectually but living realities that the Holy Spirit wants to open our eyes to experience. This prayer is not just ancient words on a page but a living template we can use to pray powerfully for one another and begin to watch the Lord move powerfully in our midst.
Here are 4 truths from the message to strengthen your leadership this week:
1. We Are Called to Carry Others in Prayer
Like the Old Testament priests who wore breastplates with 12 stones representing the tribes of Israel, Paul carried the Ephesian believers on his heart. Even while imprisoned in Rome for preaching the gospel, Paul's focus wasn't primarily on his own troubles but on interceding for others.
Ephesians 1:15-16 - "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"
As followers of Christ, we are all part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), called to carry specific people on our hearts before the Lord, whether family, friends, Lifegroup members or those we disciple.
2. Pray for Spiritual Eyes to Be Enlightened
Ephesians 1:17-18 - "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened"
There's a profound difference between knowing facts about God and having our spiritual eyes opened to truly see and experience who He is. Paul's prayer wasn't for more information but for illumination, that the Holy Spirit would give wisdom and revelation.
Like the colorblind person in the sermon illustration who saw colors for the first time, we need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see spiritual realities we've been missing, not because we've done something wrong, but because life is hard and we need fresh vision.
3. See the Three Colors of God's Work in Your Life
In Ephesians 1:18-19, Paul prays for three specific things to be revealed - "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"
Hope - We are born into a living hope (1 Peter 1:3), and this hope should be so evident in our lives that others ask us about it (1 Peter 3:15). Hope, not just love, should mark our identity as Christians.
Inheritance - A two-fold truth: we are God's treasured possession, and God has a glorious inheritance prepared for us, both now and in the age to come.
Resurrection Power - The same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in our lives today, not just something from the past or reserved for eternity, but active right now in our circumstances, families, and church.
4. Turn Scripture into Prayer
This passage isn't just ancient words to read and be encouraged by but a living prayer we can pray for one another.
Paul's prayer gives us a specific, Spirit-inspired template to intercede for the people God has placed on our hearts. Rather than vague prayers, we can use this scripture to pray precisely: for wisdom and revelation, for enlightened eyes, for hope to rise, for awareness of God's delight in them and for them to experience resurrection power.
This is how we join with Paul in a ministry of prayer and watch the Holy Spirit move in our midst over the ones we are called to carry in prayer.
For Ministry:
In 1 Corinthians 12 & 14, the Scriptures describe the gifts of the Spirit at work in the church to reveal Jesus, bring comfort, edification and encouragement to believers, salvation to the lost and glory to God. With that in mind, members of our prophetic community take time each Sunday to seek the Lord for insight into how the Spirit wants to minister and to whom during our services and this week in the life of our church. We often share these words on Sunday morning from the stage, but we also wanted to start sharing them here as well. By no means is this the only thing the Lord is doing in our midst, but we want to be faithful to steward these words, so please consider how they might minister to members of your group this week.
Words for Ministry:
There is someone who feels like they are walking on thin ice, they are nervous and fearful. God is inviting them to trust Him. Like Peter walking on the water towards Jesus, He is inviting you to come to Him and trust Him.
Heard the name Sam or Samantha...then a river was seen flowing over a dam - powerful yet controlled... and heard "Power when harnessed can be harvested and helpful."
God's provision is all around, some "free for the picking " and some requires effort to prepare. Embrace the gift and give thanks!
God wants to heal someone with pain in their right knee
Tools for Lifegroup:
1. Discussion Guide: The discussion guide for the sermon is available and ready for your group this week. It includes the sermon summary, key scriptures with full text, and 10 discussion questions to help your group engage deeply with this message.
2. World Mandate: World Mandate is one week away! This is a significant moment for our church family to gather, hear from global field workers and renew our commitment to God’s purposes around the world. Make sure your group knows about it and encourage them to be part of this gathering. Tickets are limited!
3. Worship: You can use this playlist from our worship team for worship in Lifegroup. It includes the songs we sing on Sundays!