Imperial Valley Christian Center

        Papa Hagin always recommended that people pray for themselves this prayer that Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christians.

“Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” Ephesians 1:16-23, KJV. 

In a recent installment of his, much recommended, email devotional, Mark Hankins related what Papa Hagin had said about praying the first of these prayers at his dad’s church, 

“If you are not happy with your life, if you want life to be different for you, then pray this prayer for at least six months. Don’t pray it one week and then skip a week. Pray this prayer at least once a day, every single day for six months. Pray it over and over again. Just stick with it until something happens. If you do that, life will be different for you. The first thing that will happen is that the Bible will become a different book to you.”

 

        I’d prayed the first of these prayers quite a bit over the years, but six or seven years ago I began praying it on a regular basis. I became a little obsessed with it. I’d pray it first thing in the