Paul's prayer for the Church in Ephesians 1:15-23 is that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened: knowing their hope in Christ, understanding the riches of their inheritance, and recognizing God's immeasurable power. It focuses our attention on our deepest needs and guides us as we approach God with our requests. We can have confidence knowing that God hears us and has the power to answer in exactly the right way.

Key Points:

- Prayer is intentional interaction with our Creator, a two-way communication that gives us direct access to God

- Christianity is fundamentally a religion based on knowledge of God, not merely feelings or experiences

- God invites His people into partnership through prayer, working out His plans through the prayers of His people

- Unanswered prayers don't indicate God's lack of power or care, but rather His superior wisdom and better plans

Application: We can and should pray confidently (knowing God hears), expectantly (knowing God answers), and humbly (knowing God's wisdom exceeds ours).