Praise, purpose, prayer, and power

Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus has an over-arching theme of unity. It remains relevant for the church today. Ephesians 1:3-14 is a torrent of words which gives a sense of what the whole epistle has in store for us. Paul highlights the blessings we have received in Christ. Pastor Barbara Moyer Lehman questioned whether the unity of the church today might be strengthened if we began our meetings, classes, and conversations by focusing on God's blessings. Can we focus on God's plan for the church and let that direct us? In the rest of Ephesians 1, Paul goes on to highlight the power of prayer. How would the church today benefit if we spent more time in prayer? Would the unity of the church be strengthened if we realized that anything accomplished is not done through our power but through the power of the Holy Spirit? Where would the church be if we did this?