Ephesians 1:15-16
“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.”
In these verses, the apostle Paul mentions two important facets of Christianity—faith and prayer. It reminds me of the story of a Sunday School teacher who called his class to pray and enter into the Lord’s presence.
Excited about the invitation, little Samantha folded her hands, closed her eyes, and prayed. She could hardly contain herself as she waited to hear “Amen.” But her excitement turned to dismay when she opened her eyes, scanned the room, and saw nothing had changed. There was not a present in sight—no boxes or bags with colorful bows, nothing.
Disappointed, Samantha couldn’t wait to leave. Angry, she told her parents, “My teacher lied in class. I never want to go back. He said that we were going to enter God’s presence first thing, but when we finished praying, there wasn’t one present in the room!” Mom and Dad bit their lips to keep from laughing at their daughter’s misunderstanding of the blessing of entering God’s presence.
In many ways, we’re like that little girl. We often enter into God’s throne room of prayer with expectations of immediate answers, and when they don’t materialize, our faith takes a hit. Yet, we’ve missed the best gift—the sheer joy of being in His presence and experiencing His love.
Let us continue in faith, believing God’s promise to give us infinitely better things than our limited imaginations can conceive (Ephesians 3:20). May we never cease to give thanks as we bow our heads and hearts in His presence.
Awaiting His Return,
– Pastor Jack
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