Ephesians 3:1-7

v1: Paul is suffering in prison and yet he is praying to God on behalf of the Ephesian Christians.  A lesson we can take from this is "that no particular sufferings of our own should make us so concerned about ourselves as to neglect the situations of others in our supplications and speaking to God."

v2: "What God calls people to, he equips them for, and he does so with his almighty power." God equipped Paul for his work, "and as he did his work God gave him the appropriate help — all necessary gifts and graces, both ordinary and extraordinary, by the effectual working of his power."

v3-7: The mystery that "was not so fully and clearly revealed in the generations before Christ as it is now revealed," is that Gentiles along with believing Jews would be members of the church of Christ and enjoy all the blessings of salvation, "especially the great promise of the Spirit." The salvation of Gentiles is a reminder "not to despair of the worst, or the worst people and the worst nations.  Nothing is too hard for divine grace to accomplish," and "no one is so unworthy that God may not be pleased to lavish his great grace on them."

We may notice that it was very much the practice of this apostle to mix his instructions and advice with intercessions and prayers to God for his readers, knowing that all his instructions and teachings would be worthless and futile unless God cooperated with them, making them effective.