Rejoice:

Read:

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.

This is one of the deepest concerns I have for the Church and I’ve talked about it countless times in sermons. Everytime we come across a verse that indicates this truth we will discuss it again because God has deemed it necessary to repeat it for OUR benefit. Clearly it is an issue here as Paul prays for these believers. What is the problem? Many believers are not listening or asking the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to help them know Him. Instead they open the Word and hope that their human logic will bring them understanding. We’ve said before, it takes more than just the Word of God. Is that scary and heretical to you? Think about it, if it only took the Word then the world would know and understand God. Instead it is the Spirit within us that brings the Word of God to life and gives it power. Without that Spirit acting and guiding us we read lifeless words that make no sense. That is why it is written “for who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” (1 Cor. 2:11). The Spirit was sent to guide us into truth and that is made evident here in this verse. We cannot understand the Word without the Spirit and the Spirit is stripped of His power in our life if we don’t read the Word. Not because of His inability, but because of how He set it up. The Spirit was given to us to remind us of what God said. God chose the process the Spirit would work in our lives. He chose it to be God’s Word + The Spirit = application.

This is the battle that wages in Galatians five. This is the war we face everyday. We can sit down and open His Word and not pray for the Spirit to lead resulting in us walking away from it unchanged and with no renewed passion. We must stop, pray, petition, then read. Before you read spend time in prayer asking God to guide you to the truth He desires you to see and know. Then pray afterwards about what He just told you! 😀

This may seem redundant, you’ve heard it before, but here it is stated again in Scripture right!? So… are you doing it all the time? Exactly. So, that’s why we are here again lol. Paul says in Philippians 3:1 “Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.” It’s good to reiterate things because that’s how we learn!

Note that Paul was praying Ephesians 1:17 over believers who were already doing good things. This isn’t a once and done thing. Don’t assume since you understand some things that you don’t need to pray this over yourself. Many believers get to a level of understanding/application and then somehow forget how they got there. Do not forsake this.

Respond:

Spend 1 minute in prayer thanking God that He has given you written Word to partner with the Spirit and show you truth. Then spend 2-3 minutes asking God to help you truly understand Scripture and apply it.

Relate:

What if you told 1 person everyday the things you were learning? What if you shared, with your mouth, the truth you learned here? Have you ever talked about it, or have you only read it or heard it at church? If you have not shared this truth with someone then it’s almost dead knowledge. Start sharing the truth you learn with someone! Not just because you want to save someone, or teach someone, but because when you share the truth you’re learning you see how well (or not) you know what you think you know. You may be surprised. 😉