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. I pray also 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 the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. (Eph.1:17-20).
I’m often drawn back to this passage in Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus. Ephesus was a prominent Greek/Roman city known most for the Temple of Diana (Artemis to the Greeks), which was one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. It was over 60 feet tall and larger than a football field. For those raised in Ephesus, pagan worship and, especially, the worship of Diana would have been as natural as breathing air. The religion would also have been given credibility by the massive and impressive temple, the thousands of pilgrims who came to it each year, the temple priesthood, and all the religious industry surrounding the temple. In the face of that presence, Paul preached a crucified carpenter who claimed to be the Son of God and the Jewish Messiah.
How do you overcome the imprint of that pagan religion left on the hearts and minds of those who were raised in the city of Diana? Paul understood that the natural senses and the natural mind would always be drawn back to the material and familiar. Because of that, his constant prayer was for the Spirit of God to give the followers of Jesus wisdom and revelation. The wisdom he prayed for was not accessible through Greek philosophy or Roman universities. Those sources could provide a worldly wisdom but God offers a spiritual wisdom – a wisdom from above. James speaks of God’s wisdom when he says, “Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (Ja.3:15-17).
Worldly wisdom is everywhere. It is on display right now in the presidential race – slander, lies, dirty tricks, etc. – all strategies to win at any cost so that later you can “do good.” Wisdom from above gives us an understanding of how God operates and how things operate in the spiritual realm. That wisdom gives us an eternal view on which to base our decisions and engages the spiritual realm in what we do. That wisdom can only come from the Spirit of God.
Secondly, Paul prayed for revelation, which includes wisdom but also includes spiritual truth that the world does not possess or comprehend. Paul continued his prayer asking that God would enlighten the eyes of the hearts of the believers at Ephesus that they might know the hope, the riches of their inheritance, and the power of the kingdom of God.
When the heart knows something from God, it has come by revelation rather than intellectual instruction. God seems more concerned about our hearts than our minds. In numerous places he talks about giving us new hearts, replacing a heart of stone with a heart of flesh, or writing his laws on our hearts. If we get something in our hearts then our minds will quickly follow. However, we can hold some truth in our mind that our hearts will never receive without revelation. God writes his truth on our hearts by a revelation of his Spirit. It enables us to understand the depths of God’s word, to hear his voice, or to see visions or hints of spiritual realities through the eyes of our hearts. All believers come equipped with “eyes of the heart” to see spiritual realities but, apparently, God has to open our eyes to those things.
Elisha’s encounter with the armies of Aram is an example. “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike these people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked” (2 Kings 6:15-18).
Elisha had both wisdom and revelation and by the eyes of his heart could see into the spiritual realm. He understood how God worked (wisdom) and he knew the truth that God was with him and always made him a majority in any battle. By faith he saw into the spiritual realm to confirm what God was doing so he had no fear. His servant lacked all of that so was terrified until God opened the eyes of his heart. At that moment he knew the power being exercised on his behalf.
None of that come to believers automatically. It comes by the work of the Holy Spirit activated by prayer. Since Paul expressed that prayer consistently, it might be a good idea for us to do the same – for ourselves and for others. Undoubtedly, God is pleased to give us those things but there seems to be accumulating deposits or Paul would have prayed only once. Make it a part of your daily prayer. You can’t get too much and heaven has plenty. It will make all the difference. Blessings in Him…and may you be filled with his wisdom, revelation, and enlightenment today.
