Note 2 at Eph. 1:16: Paul's giving of thanks for the Ephesians was part of his prayers for them. Thanksgiving to God is prayer and it is a very important part of prayer. Psalm 100:4 says, "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his holy name." Paul said in Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." According to Jesus' teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, we are to start and end our prayer with thanksgiving and praise.

It is easy to take our burdens to the Lord in prayer and actually spend our time complaining instead of praying. Making thanksgiving an integral part of every prayer will prevent this. If we start our prayer with praise and thanksgiving, we will have to remind ourself that God is bigger than our problem. And if we close with praise and thanksgiving, we will have to move beyond the problem to the answer. Faith always focuses on the answer, not the problem (see note at Col. 2:7).

Note 3 at Eph. 1:16: Paul prays two prayers for the Ephesians in this letter (1:15-23 and 3:14-21). They are both similar in content. Paul is praying that they would receive the revelation of the mystery which he is sharing with them (see note 16 at Eph. 1:9, p. 1097).