Ephesians 1:16

Letters to the Faithful - Ephesians 1:16

Berean Standard Bible

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,

King James Bible

Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

---------------------------------

To the saints of God scattered across every land yet united in one Lord, one faith, and one baptism—to all who call upon the name of Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth—I greet you in the grace and peace that come only from the Father of lights and the risen Son, who reigns with power and compassion from the right hand of majesty.

I write to you as a fellow servant and partaker of the same mercy, compelled by love and stirred by the Spirit, to speak to you of the sacred work that lies not in the pulpit alone, nor in outward deeds alone, but in the hidden chambers of the heart where thanksgiving is born and intercession rises like incense. For it is written by our beloved brother Paul, that he did not cease giving thanks for the saints, remembering them constantly in his prayers. These words are more than a passing thought or a spiritual courtesy. They unveil the posture of the apostolic heart—a heart that carries others continually before the throne, that rejoices not in personal advancement, but in the faith and steadfastness of the Body.

O Church, have we not grown weary of a faith that is self-centered and shallow? Have we not hungered for something deeper than performance—a faith that labors in secret and loves without measure? In Paul’s words, we find a holy invitation to return to the unseen disciplines that sustain the Church and advance the Kingdom: remembrance, thanksgiving, and unceasing prayer.

To remember the saints is not merely to recall names or faces, but to carry their burdens, their growth, and their mission in the womb of intercession. It is to see the body of Christ not as scattered individuals, but as members one of another. We are not isolated lights; we are a constellation formed by grace. And the bond of love is strengthened not by events alone, but by daily remembrance in the place of prayer.

How often have we reduced thanksgiving to the blessings we can see—finances, health, opportunities—when the apostles gave thanks not for what they received, but for what others had become in Christ! Paul rejoiced that faith was taking root in Ephesus, that love was maturing among the saints, that the Word of God was bearing fruit. This is the measure of spiritual maturity: that we give thanks, not only for what God does for us, but for what He does in others.

Church of the Living God, let this be our pattern. Let every leader carry the names of their flock not only in sermon preparation but in daily petition. Let every believer lift up their brothers and sisters in heartfelt thanksgiving. Let house churches, mission fields, megachurches, and prison cells be saturated with the fragrance of continual intercession. Let us become those who rejoice at the growth of others, who weep with their trials, who intercede as though their breakthrough were our own.

There is a great need in our day—not just for bold preachers or gifted teachers, but for secret intercessors who remember the saints without ceasing. Who give thanks for the grace that is at work in those they cannot see. Who understand that unity is not preserved by agreement alone, but by prayer that keeps the heart soft and the eyes heavenward.

And let us not grow weary in this ministry. For though the world may overlook it, though the results may not be seen in a moment, yet the God who sees in secret rewards in fullness. The prayers of the saints ascend. The thanksgiving of the Church is a weapon against cynicism. Remembrance binds us together when distance and difficulty would try to divide.

In practical terms, I urge you—set aside time not just to pray for your own needs, but to lift up your church, your leaders, your co-laborers, your brothers and sisters in the faith. Keep a journal of names, not to control outcomes, but to participate in the great ministry of intercession. Let the Spirit bring faces to mind as you walk, as you drive, as you wait in silence. And when He does, pause and give thanks. Offer them up in prayer, and watch how your heart grows in love and your faith deepens in joy.

Let church gatherings be filled with testimonies of answered prayer, not only for healings and miracles, but for maturity, for endurance, for transformed lives that reflect the character of Christ. Let prayer meetings not be hurried or dry, but soaked in gratitude for what God is doing in His people—yes, even when it’s slow, even when it’s hidden.

And if you feel forgotten or alone in your own walk, let this truth comfort you: there is a faithful intercessor at the right hand of the Father, who ever lives to make intercession for us. You are remembered. You are carried. You are never out of reach of divine remembrance. And perhaps, even now, another saint whose face you’ve never seen is lifting your name in prayer by the prompting of the Spirit. This is the wonder of the Body—we are bound together by love that stretches across borders, generations, and seasons.

Let us then renew our commitment to one another, not only in service, but in spiritual remembrance. Let us bear one another up in prayer, that no part of the Body would be forgotten, that no gift would be neglected, and that no saint would walk alone. In doing so, we follow the example of Paul, but more than that—we follow the heart of Christ, who laid down His life not only for individuals, but for a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, holy and full of love.

With this charge, I leave you: give thanks for one another. Remember each other always. And pray without ceasing.

----------------------

Almighty and Everlasting God, our Father and our Shepherd, we come before You with hearts bowed and spirits lifted, humbled by Your mercy and made bold by Your grace. You are the God who calls, the God who redeems, the God who gathers Your people from every corner of the earth and knits them into one body under the headship of Christ. We lift our voices in thanksgiving today, not only for what You have done in our own lives, but for the glorious work of Your Spirit in the lives of our brothers and sisters throughout the earth.

We thank You for the saints You have raised up in every place, for the testimonies of those who have believed and endured, for the seeds of faith sown in silence that have grown into bold declarations of Your kingdom. We thank You for the churches gathered in secret and in the open, for those worshiping in abundance and those praising You in lack. We thank You for the faith that is growing, for the love that is maturing, and for the hope that is steadfast even in affliction.

O God, let us not forget what You are doing in Your people. Let us not become so consumed with our own needs that we neglect to give thanks for others. Awaken in us a deeper awareness of the Body—that we may celebrate the victories of others as our own, weep with those who weep, and labor in prayer for those we may never meet. Give us eyes to see the Church as You see her: radiant, beloved, costly, and unfinished, yet glorious in her calling and full of Your Spirit.

We remember the laborers in fields near and far—those who have said yes to Your call, those who preach Your Word in truth, those who shepherd without fame, those who disciple faithfully behind closed doors. We give thanks for them, Lord. Let them be refreshed in their inner man. Let their hands not grow weary. Let their hearts be guarded from discouragement. Let their ministries be saturated with Your presence. May they know that they are not forgotten—that they are upheld by a great cloud of witnesses, and by the prayers of the saints who intercede for them without ceasing.

Father, we also lift before You the young in the faith—the newly awakened, the quietly seeking, the ones taking their first steps into trust and obedience. Strengthen them. Surround them with wise counsel and godly examples. Keep them from the snares of deception. Let their roots go deep into Your Word, and their affections be drawn toward Christ. Let the fire of their first love be fanned into endurance.

We remember the elders among us—those who have walked with You for many years. Let their wisdom not be wasted, and their prayers not be silenced. Let their voices be honored in the Church, and their counsel treasured by the next generation. May they pour out with joy what they have received in quietness, and may they be refreshed by the fruits of their faithfulness.

We thank You, Lord, for the unity that flows from Your Spirit. Though we are scattered across nations, cultures, and languages, we are one in You. Let this unity be preserved by the bond of peace. Let it not be fractured by pride, wounded by jealousy, or severed by offense. Teach us to value one another as parts of the same body. Teach us to rejoice not only in what You do in us, but also in what You do in others. Let our prayers be filled with gratitude, not just for personal blessing, but for collective grace.

And now, Lord, we ask that You teach us the rhythm of unceasing intercession. Let our lives be marked by the discipline of prayer and the overflow of thanksgiving. Let prayer be more than duty—let it become the breath of our spiritual life. Stir within us a holy remembrance, that the faces of Your people would come to our minds not randomly, but by divine prompting. Let us be a people who carry one another in prayer—not occasionally, but continually. Let our prayers be rooted in truth, shaped by love, and released in faith.

Lord, let us give thanks not only in seasons of plenty but in seasons of trial. Let our gratitude rise even in tears, knowing that You are faithful to complete the good work You have begun in us. Let our thanksgiving be our warfare, our intercession be our ministry, and our unity be our witness.

And finally, Lord, we give thanks for You—for Your unwavering faithfulness, for Your boundless mercy, for Your sovereign wisdom. You are building a Church against which the gates of hell will not prevail. You are sanctifying a people, refining them like gold, and preparing them for glory. Let us not cease to give You thanks, day and night, until our last breath.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us even now, who has brought us near by His blood, and who will return to receive His Bride in radiant splendor—we give thanks, we remember, and we pray.

Amen.