A Prayer from Paul

I still enjoy getting handwritten mail. There's such personality in handwriting. Paul often had a scribe write his letters, but on occasion he penned the words himself. Imagine breaking the wax seal and unrolling a long scroll that contained this prayer from the heart and hand of the apostle; imagine he's writing this directly to you.

"(I pray) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-20

This is my desperate prayer for my life and for my children. I pray this for you also, may the Lord bless you with Himself

and with understanding as we study this prayer. One of the most helpful exercises for studying the Bible is verse defining. I enjoy doing this because it helps me understand scripture on a deeper level. First, I break down the high concepts by writing it in simpler terms; always using other Bible passages and the broader context to understand the meaning. (I ask what does it say, not what do I want it to say).

Wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him- rationale and vision for life founded in relationship with Christ.

Eyes of your heart- spiritual sight

May be enlightened- given understanding

Hope of His calling- joyful expectation

Riches of the glory of His inheritance- the true value of His transforming power at work in us

Surpassing greatness of His power toward us- He is able to do more than we could ever ask

Then I write it out like this:

What did I learn from this verse?

Rationale and purpose for life come from knowing Christ. My spiritual sight must be given understanding for three reasons: to recognize the joyful expectation in the Christian life, to know the true value of his transforming power at work in us, and to understand and really believe He is able to do more than we could ever ask.

Ponder this: Do you really believe God's working His purpose out in you? Do you see evidence of it in your life?

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