Paul's trust was not in his own ability to make disciples but in the work that God would do for those whom Paul was teaching.  Paul was part of the process of their spiritual growth through his prayers for them.

Without an active life of prayer, we are not putting on the whole armor of God. We should be praying at all times in the Spirit. As we are praying for other people it is important that we persevere in prayer.  Don't give up if you don't see immediate changes in response to your prayers. 

Spiritual opposition from Satan and his kingdom is a reality. If we are going to be able to stand against this opposition we need the spiritual armor that God has provided. Constant prayer in the Holy Spirit is a vital part of the spiritual armor.

The great prayer of the apostle Paul recorded in the book of Ephesians chapter 3 is one of the greatest prayers of the Bible and one of the most important prayers to learn, memorize, pray for ourselves, and pray for others. It models praying for spiritual strength and spiritual comprehension so that we can gain spiritual maturity in which the love of Jesus within us is the evidence.

If you study the prayers of the apostle Paul found in the New Testament, you'll find that there is a recurring emphasis on spiritual growth and maturity. The greatest expression of spiritual maturity is to be filled with the love of Jesus.

From Paul's prayers for the Ephesians, we can learn the importance of praying for the ability to comprehend the greatness and vastness of the love of Jesus. If we are to be filled with all the fullness of God then we must be filled with the love of Christ.

If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord and have repented of sin, turned to Him, and embraced what He did for you on the cross, then you are a "saint"—one who has been set apart by God for Himself. It is important for us to pray for spiritual understanding and wisdom for ourselves and for other believers—for all the saints. 

In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul prays continually, with gratitude, and specifically for spiritual illumination for those he is praying for. We need God's help to understand spiritual realities and the revelation given to us in Scripture.

In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul provides us with a model for how to approach God with gratitude, praise, thanksgiving, and worship for who God is and what He has done for us. Knowing how to praise God is an important part of knowing how to pray to God.

A benediction can be thought of as a form of prayer that expresses something that you desire to happen in the life of the person or people whom you are praying for. The apostle Paul had a pattern for using these blessings at both the beginning and end of his letters which are now part of the New Testament.