Prayer Mine

“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength.” (Ephesians 1:17-19)

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is like a gold mine ready to be worked, with numerous veins of gold streaking through solid rock. There are two primary veins. First, Paul prays that God would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation. Wisdom means to have the ability to comprehend a situation and determine the best course of action in response. Revelation means to “pull back the cover,” so that what is inside is thus revealed. This, too, deals with understanding and comprehension. So, Paul wants us to have this wisdom and understanding so that we can fully know the Lord. Wisdom and revelation are nothing unless they help us to know God.

The second vein of Paul’s prayer is that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened. The heart can often be translated in the Bible as “will.” Paul metaphorically speaks of the heart as having “eyes,” meaning that it is possible for our “will” to see the truth when it is illuminated by the light of God. When the light of God pours into our hearts, into the place where our wills are determined, it has three impacts: 1) we see God’s hope for what He did through His Son, that is, His hope that we will come to repentance and faith, 2) we see the Lord’s inheritance among the saints, that is, His status as the firstborn in preeminence in the creation, and 3) we see His power which has no limitations.

So, here are the gold nuggets from this prayer mine: God wants to know us and wants us to know Him, God wants us to understand His truth, and God wants us to rely on His strength for living this life.

Lord, May we today grow in our understanding of You and Your truth, and may we fully rely on Your strength for this day. Amen.