How do you love your people when words feel thin and life is loud? Mark Medley answers by taking us back to Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1 and showing how intercession becomes the most practical form of love. He begins with a raw, hopeful testimony of wandering and return from Ben Smith, then opens the Scriptures to build a simple, sturdy way to pray that anyone can use. This message continues the In Christ series and grounds prayer where Paul does: “For this reason.” Because God has already chosen, redeemed, sealed, and seated us in Christ, prayer is not striving to get His attention; it is partnership with His willingness. That reframes persistence—“I keep asking”—from pressure to participation. And it sets the tone: thanksgiving first. Before we request anything, we give thanks for our people and for the grace already at work in them.

Mark then teaches the posture of prayer Paul models: to the Father, in the name of Jesus, by the empowering help of the Spirit. Relationship gives boldness, the name of Jesus gives authority, and the Spirit supplies wisdom beyond our understanding. When words run out, the Spirit helps our weakness with groans too deep for words; when we can’t see the path, He prays according to the will of God. Parents carry unique spiritual authority for their children, friends bear one another’s burdens, and churches can shepherd on their knees.

From there, Mark borrows Paul’s language and gives seven clear requests to pray over your people: that God would work at the level of the spirit; give wisdom; grant revelation so the eyes of the heart are enlightened; restore living hope; make His calling loud and clear; open our eyes to the riches of our inheritance; and reveal the power at work in believers—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Isaiah 61 becomes a living prayer map: good news to the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, liberty for captives, comfort for mourners, and beauty in place of ashes.

Along the way, Mark names a quiet thief of our age: the algorithm. It pastors attention, shapes emotions, and drains hope. The answer isn’t shame; it’s a better diet. Curate your inputs, root yourself in Scripture, and let worship interrupt worry. The message ends where Paul ends—seeing Jesus as He is: risen, enthroned, and near. When people truly see Him, everything else takes its proper size. Watch, take notes, and try the seven-point prayer tonight for those you love. Share this with someone who needs courage to keep asking.

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