As was his custom, Paul first commended his readers for what they were doing well. Then he told them what his prayer requests for them were.
1:15 In view of their spiritual blessings, Paul felt constrained to pray for his original readers. Even though God had greatly blessed them, they needed even more from God. In addition to informing them, Paul also interceded for them.
The apostle had personally witnessed the faith and love of the Ephesians a few years earlier, but he had evidently received fresh reports of their condition. His statement also suggests that "you"may include other churches beside the one or ones located in Ephesus. Faith is the expression of the believer's trust in God, our vertical relationship. Love is the evidence of his or her proper relationship with other people, our horizontal relationship (cf. 6:23; Col. 1:14; 2 Thess. 1:3).
1:16 These qualities in his readers stimulated Paul to give thanks to God for their present condition and to petition Him for their present and future needs. He said he prayed for them repeatedly.35
