If you desire the Holy Spirit to guide you, possessing spiritual wisdom and revelation to understand God’s purposes for your life is crucial. Paul’s prayer to the Christians in Ephesians 1:17 serves as a valuable Word to apply: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him” (Ephesians 1:17).
The Phillips translation of Ephesians 1:17-18 reads: “I never give up praying for you; and this is my prayer. That God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the all-glorious Father, will give you spiritual wisdom and the insight to know more of him: that you may receive that inner illumination of the spirit which will make you realize how great is the hope to which he is calling you.”
We cannot know who we are or what God has planned for us without the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and “inner illumination.”
In Ephesians 1:17, the word “wisdom” comes from the Greek word “sophias.” It describes an insight that is not naturally gained. In other words, this is not man's natural wisdom. This is a supernatural, unique insight from the Holy Spirit.
In this same verse, the word “revelation” comes from the Greek word “apokalupsis.” This word signifies something hidden for a long time and then suddenly, almost instantaneously, it becomes visible to the mind’s eye. That sudden moment when the Holy Spirit reveals something that has been hidden from you is called a revelation. The knowledge has always existed, but just wasn’t apparent to you.
The spiritual truths we comprehend today have always resided in the realm of the Spirit. At one point, they were concealed from our view. Even though they had always existed, the time for their revelation had not yet arrived, so they remained hidden from our sight. When the opportune moment arrived for a spiritual truth to be revealed and for the Holy Spirit to remove the veil that concealed that truth, our mind instantly recognized and comprehended it. That revelation was a profound experience.
Think of a time when you suddenly saw something in the Word you had never seen. That truth had always been there, but it had been hidden from your sight. Then, unexpectedly, one day, it jumped off the page and came to life. You saw it, and you understood it. You had a revelation.
Spiritual truths are hidden until the Holy Spirit reveals them to us. Paul prayed for God to give the Ephesian church “a spirit of wisdom and revelation.” The Ephesian Christians needed wisdom (and so do we) beyond their human understanding. He asked God to give them unique insight. He prayed for the veil that had hidden their understanding to be suddenly gone, and they would be enabled by the Holy Spirit to see what they could never see by themselves—His revelation.
The Ephesian Christians weren’t smart enough (and neither are we) to figure out their lives, so Paul prayed for God to give them a unique insight into His knowledge. He explained that this kind of wisdom could only come through a revelation, and only God could provide them with the wisdom they needed.
Are you looking for direction? Ask God to give you His spiritual wisdom and insight to know Him better. God has all the answers you need—answers you’ll never discover with your natural reasoning. They aren’t as far off as you might think. In an instant, the Holy Spirit can lift the veil that has held you in darkness and flood you with His light, enabling you to see clearly what you need to understand.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
The Holy Spirit is here to assist you. His desire is to help you. Ask Him for His wisdom. He doesn’t withhold His unique insight from you.
No comments:
Post a Comment