Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 29-31
     New Testament Reading: Ephesians 1

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength (Ephesians 1:17-19).

Our journey through the New Testament now takes us to the section called the Prison Letters. It includes the letters of Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, the letters Paul wrote from prison in Rome.

Paul desired the Ephesian Christians to understand what great wealth they had in Christ. Paul knew of their faith and love, and in this, he rejoiced (v15). The Christian life has two dimensions; faith toward God and love toward people, and you cannot separate the two. But Paul knew that faith and love were just the beginning. The Ephesians needed to know much more. That is why he prayed for them.

In the prayers of Paul recorded in Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, we discover the blessings he wanted his converts to enjoy. In none of these, does Paul request material things or pray for the physical needs of believers. His emphasis is on spiritual insights and genuine Christian character. He does not ask God to give them what they do not have, but he prays God will reveal to them what they already possess.

First, Paul prays God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (v17). With our natural mind, we cannot understand the things of God. We need the Holy Spirit who reveals the truth to us from Scripture, and then gives us the wisdom to understand and apply it.

Second, Paul prays that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened (v18). In the Bible, the heart means the inner man and includes the emotions, the mind, and the will. The inability to see and understand spiritual things is not the fault of the intelligence but the heart. The Spirit of God must open the eyes of the heart for the believer to grow to spiritual maturity.

How different is Paul’s prayers for believers from most of our prayers today. If we truly desire a spiritual revival and revitalization of our churches, we need to begin with changing the way we pray. Pastor E. M. Bonds said, “A revival of real praying will produce a spiritual revolution. The story of every great Christian achievement is the history of answered prayer.”