It seems to me that if Paul prayed something for the church, it was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Paul received much revelation from God and passed it onto God's people. We say that the Bible is God's word, so we should take it seriously.
Ephesians 1:15-23
"For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him."
"I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with 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, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."
"And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
Since we have God's word now, and Paul was conveying God's word to the churches he founded, why do we need the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation? Surely we have logic and reason to draw on? The answer is simple. The Bible is a spiritual book for spiritual people. Those who rely purely on intellect struggle to comprehend the meaning of God's word.
Logic and reason are not evil in themselves. But they are inadequate to know God's word. By know, I mean the way that we know our names or who our parents are. That is much deeper than mere mental assent.
We can read a promise of God. For example, God will supply our every need. When I was faced with an impossible financial situation, that promise evaporated. Instead of trusting God, I tried my own methods to raise some money. They all failed. God met my need, but not because I was so full of faith and confidence in Him.
Logic and reason look at the circumstances and are ruled by them. The spirit of wisdom and revelation shows us the heart of God for us. It took me many years to accept that God loved me. I know the kind of person that I am. God's love still amazes me. Finally, God opened my eyes. God's love is not like human, conditional love. I knew what God's word said, but logic and reason said, "How could He love me?" Now I know that God does not even see me any more. One of my favourite verses, "You (me!") died and your life is hidden in Christ with God."
The spirit of wisdom and revelation opens the eyes of our heart, not the reason of the mind. The mind is invaluable in enabling us to study and recall God's word. But until we receive revelation, it just words.
Brethren, I encourage you to seek the Spirit of wisdom and revelation for yourselves. It is worth far more than any doctorate or degree. There are many theologians in hell. As the old saying goes, "It's not what you know, it's who you know" that counts. One of my favourites songs starts like this: "Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus". And that is what the Christian life is about. When we see Jesus, we will be like Him. We can have a taste of that wonderful promise right here and now.
Ephesians 1:15-23
"For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him."
"I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with 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, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."
"And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
Since we have God's word now, and Paul was conveying God's word to the churches he founded, why do we need the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation? Surely we have logic and reason to draw on? The answer is simple. The Bible is a spiritual book for spiritual people. Those who rely purely on intellect struggle to comprehend the meaning of God's word.
Logic and reason are not evil in themselves. But they are inadequate to know God's word. By know, I mean the way that we know our names or who our parents are. That is much deeper than mere mental assent.
We can read a promise of God. For example, God will supply our every need. When I was faced with an impossible financial situation, that promise evaporated. Instead of trusting God, I tried my own methods to raise some money. They all failed. God met my need, but not because I was so full of faith and confidence in Him.
Logic and reason look at the circumstances and are ruled by them. The spirit of wisdom and revelation shows us the heart of God for us. It took me many years to accept that God loved me. I know the kind of person that I am. God's love still amazes me. Finally, God opened my eyes. God's love is not like human, conditional love. I knew what God's word said, but logic and reason said, "How could He love me?" Now I know that God does not even see me any more. One of my favourite verses, "You (me!") died and your life is hidden in Christ with God."
The spirit of wisdom and revelation opens the eyes of our heart, not the reason of the mind. The mind is invaluable in enabling us to study and recall God's word. But until we receive revelation, it just words.
Brethren, I encourage you to seek the Spirit of wisdom and revelation for yourselves. It is worth far more than any doctorate or degree. There are many theologians in hell. As the old saying goes, "It's not what you know, it's who you know" that counts. One of my favourites songs starts like this: "Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus". And that is what the Christian life is about. When we see Jesus, we will be like Him. We can have a taste of that wonderful promise right here and now.
