By Toni Ford
It has been an interesting week as I have been faced with multiple situations where I have realized and recognized my need for the Lord and His wisdom more than ever before.
As I began to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom and insight, He led me to Ephesians 1: 15-23. This section is known as “Paul’s prayer for spiritual wisdom.” I have spent a good amount of time praying this Scripture over my own life this week and I sure will continue to do so in the days ahead. Here are four prayer points which stood out to me from Paul’s prayer, which I have made as my own prayer.
To know God. Ephesians 1: 17b says, “So that you might grow in your knowledge of God.” A believer must grow in his/her knowledge of God. As Warren Wiersbe said, “To know God personally is salvation. To know Him increasingly is sanctification, and to know Him perfectly is glorification.” The better we know God, the better we know ourselves and others. It is not enough to know God only as our Savior but in order for our love and knowledge of God to deepen, we must know Him as our Father, Friend and Guide. The better we know Him, the more satisfying our spiritual lives will be.
To know God’s calling. Ephesians 1: 18a says, “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called.” I Peter 2:9 says that we have been “called out of darkness into his marvelous light,” and have been “called to glory” (I Peter 5:10). God calls us by His grace not because of any merit that we might possess. Paul wrote often about the “hope” that is ours because of this calling. This word “hope” carries with it an “assurance of the future.” As a believer, my hope is the return of Jesus Christ for His church. This hope that belongs to our calling should encourage us to be pure, obedient and faithful. The truth that we will one day see Christ and be like Him should motivate us to live like Christ today.
To know God’s riches. Ephesians 1: 18b says, “His holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.” This verse is not referring to our own personal riches but rather how God sees us as His own inheritance. God deals with us on the basis of our future, not our past! Because we are God’s inheritance, our goal should be to live such a life that pleases and glorifies our King.
To know God’s power. Ephesians 1: 19 says, “I pray that you would understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him.” Our God wants us to realize that in Him we can have a divine dynamic and working power available to us. Paul wanted us to know the depth of God’s power available to each person, because by nature we are a weak people. Matthew 26:41 reminds us by saying, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
If you have read this article today and in a place in your own life where you need to know God more, to know of His calling in your life, to be reassured of the inheritance you are to Him and to understand the dynamic power of God that is within you, I encourage you to stop and pray these same prayer points over your own life. He cares, and it is His desire to give you a greater understanding and revelation of these things.
Thank you, dear Lord, for your faithfulness and for your love for each of us. We pray to know You more, to grow in our understanding of our calling, to see ourselves as you see us, as Your inheritance and to know of Your mighty power within us! We love You!