What do we say when we pray?
This is a common question and struggle for many believers even those who have been following Jesus for a while. The typical model prayer is the The Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. John 17 is another example of a powerful prayer from Jesus. There is another simple but powerful prayer not from Jesus but the Apostle Paul. Paul shows what to pray for Ephesians 1:17-19. It is a prayer that every believer needs to pray every day.
The point of prayer is to know God better. It’s about strengthening our relationship with God. The way to do that, according to Paul, is by asking for wisdom and revelation. We need to ask God to give us a “spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.” (Eph 1:17-18a).
In this context, wisdom is having insight about who God really is and revelation is this unveiling of God’s character. This is not about having more knowledge or facts about God. It is not just a cognitive awareness but a relational experience. It is about knowing God in an intimate, personal, and genuine way. We know God in a certain way or image. We may think of God as our savior. That is correct but it is also limited. This prayer asks that the eyes of our hearts can see and experience all who God is. He is not only our savior but also our Father, Friend, Guide, Protector and so much more. It is a longing to enjoy and experience the depths and beauty of God’s presence. This is a prayer to know God not just in our heads but also in our hearts. When we do, three tremendous benefits happen.
Past: Not Haunted By Your Past
You will have hope when you pray this prayer. Paul says that you will “know the hope to which he has called you” (Eph 1:18). We can have hope today because of our past in what God has done. In the past, God saved us and called us. This means that we belong to God’s family now.
And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:6
When we pray to know God better than we remember that God has adopted us into his family. We belong to Jesus. It does not matter about our past mistakes, failures, and tragedies. That’s not our identity and value. We don’t have to live in regret or fear of what years ago. It doesn’t matter anymore. It is forgiven. We are called and given a second chance. We can bank on that. That is the hope we hold onto right now.
Future: Know Your Purpose
This prayer shows the “riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people” (Eph 1:18). We not only inherit salvation but we are also God’s inheritance. As Piper shared, “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him.” The more we love and obey Christ, the more that we glorify God to the world. Inheritance refers to the future. God is in the future. God sees and interacts with each of us from our future identity, not our past mistakes. For instance, God said this to Gideon.
Judges 6:12
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
Gideon was no mighty warrior at this point. He was a coward. God saw who Gideon will become and interacted with him based on this truth. God sees who we are in the future and he calls us to that truth and reality right now. He doesn’t label us from our past mistakes. He does not see our failures. He sees our future and who we are to become. He sees the best in us. He believes that we are better than we see ourselves. He sees how wonderful, great, and mighty we are. Can you see what God sees in you?
Present: Living with Power
Lastly, this prayer shows the power we are to live in the present. Paul says that we will see what “his incomparably great power for us who believe.” We have power. We are powerful. We have power because God’s Spirit lives in us.
2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.
God’s Spirit means that we don’t have to be afraid. It means that we don’t have to worry or feel weak. We have his power, love, and discipline. We can build and create today. We can let the Spirit do miracles in our lives. We can see lives changed and transformed by what we say, do, or act. Every day is an opportunity for God’s power to be channeled in our workplace, family, and community. We can hold our head high because we are running on God’s Spirit.
Do you want to see your life change? Pray this dangerous prayer and see God work:
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] 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. Ephesians 1:17-19
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