PRAY THAT GOD OPENS THE EYES OF YOUR HEART
SCRIPTURE:
“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:15—23)
OBSERVATION:
Paul, deeply moved by the Ephesians’ unwavering faith, was filled with gratitude and prayer for his fellow believers. The depth of his prayers for his friends, rooted in their faith, is truly inspiring. Today, I am encouraged to apply these prayers not only for myself but also for my fellow believers. Paul’s prayer was that believers would come to a deeper understanding of their position in Christ. He prayed that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would grant them;
- Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation so that they may know Christ better. To know Christ better is through the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. Only God can give the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation.
- The ‘EYES’ of their hearts, Paul prayed, would be enlightened so that they may grasp the hope to which they are called. Believers are indeed called to a profound hope. This hope is rooted in God’s glorious inheritance for his holy people. It is not just hope, but also Power, the same power that God demonstrated when he raised Christ from the dead.
So many times, believers lose hope and faith because we have been spiritually blinded from seeing all the inheritance God has for those who believe him. We have been blinded. We are called to a tremendous hope, which is Christ Jesus. The whole trinity is in full effect here in our lives. Not only God the Father of our Lord Jesus, but also Christ himself and the Spirit who gives wisdom and revelation of who Christ is.
We are called to walk by faith, believing in the identity of Christ, and not by what we see. We are to ask God to open the ‘eyes’ of our hearts, to grant us wisdom and revelation of our identity in Christ. We are to see the inheritance that we all have in Christ. We are given the ability to know Christ by reading his word and truly understanding it; it gives us wisdom and revelation of who he is.
The revelation of who Christ is must come out of his word. It is not something we create in the figment of our minds of what we want Christ to look like. The Bible is already giving us who Christ is.
APPLICATION:
I desire to know Christ and wisdom with revelation by reading his word. I want to know more and more about God’s power in raising Christ up from the dead to be a part of my daily life. Knowing the power of God and the Spirit-given wisdom and revelation will open my eyes to see all that I must see so my hope will not be moved. I desire to do that daily.
PRAYER:
Father, I pray that you open the eyes of my heart daily to see the hope and the power that you have called me to. Thank you for opening my eyes today to know I need your word. Please lead me continuously with your power and Spirit. Give me wisdom and revelations of the hope and power that is in Christ daily. I look to you today. Amen!
