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"Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." Ephesians 1:15-23.
In Ephesians 1:15, Apostle Paul is speaking to the saints at Ephesus. He is addressing those who have faith in the Lord Jesus and love for all the saints. That means he is only addressing persons who have received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Apostle Paul is not talking to the world (persons who have not received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord). He prayed for the saints at Ephesus, asking God to give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. (Ephesians 1:17)
Wisdom and Revelation Defined
What is Wisdom? Wisdom is the ability to apply knowledge. The Word of God is spiritual knowledge. Godly wisdom is the ability to apply the Word of God.
“[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him.” Ephesians 1:17 The Amplified Bible
What is Revelation? According to the Amplified Bible, revelation is insight into the mysteries and secrets of God. So Apostle Paul prayed that God would give the saints the ability to correctly apply the Word of God AND that He would give them insight into the mysteries and secrets of God. (Ephesians 1:18)
Why Do We Need Wisdom and Insight?
God has called us to a hope. This hope is whatever it is He wants us to be. This hope is our inheritance. Our inheritance is rich! Everything we need is in it. Our inheritance is among those who are separated from evil and set apart for God (sanctified).
"So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." Acts 20:32
We need wisdom and insight so that we can understand how to do and be whatever God has called us to do and be. It takes wisdom to reach this lost world. We cannot do this on our own. That is why we need wisdom and insight from God – to fulfill our calling. Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing”. (John 15:5)
We Need God
Even after receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord, we still need God. We need Him because we do not know how to be and do what He wants us to be and do. So we must seek God in order for Him to tell us how to do what He wants us to do.
"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." Matthew 6:6
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8
A Spiritual Plateau
Sometimes in our spiritual walk, we can reach a plateau. After having received Jesus as Savior and Lord, and after having learned how to live holy, we level off. We may think, “I’m saved and living all I know. Is this all there is? I guess so.” Yet inside, there is still a spiritual hunger.
Being saved and “living all we know” is not all there is. There are higher heights and deeper depths in God. But we have to seek the Lord to get there. We must seek the Lord to be able to be used of Him to help someone else. Seek the Lord to get into the place where He wants you to be.
Once we start seeking the Lord, we MUST be willing to obey Him when He speaks to us. If we are not willing to obey Him, we may as well not seek Him. Unwillingness to obey Him defeats the purpose of seeking Him.
A Thirst for God
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6
After we begin seeking Him, the first thin He will do for us is satisfy us with Himself. Once He satisfies us with Himself, then we will be ready to reach out to others.
"And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." John 6:35
God is love. Love reaches out to others. Therefore, when we get full of God, we will reach out to others. That is what happened to the Woman at the Well. She got satisfied and went running to tell others. She got a drink of that Living Water. She was thirsty. Her thirst is the reason why she had five husbands. She was trying to satisfy her thirst for God with a man. Many people are thirsty for God and are trying to quench their thirst using other things.
Equipped for Service
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8
In order to reach out to others, we must be equipped to do so. God equips us for service through the anointing of the Holy Ghost. To be anointed means to be authorized and empowered to do whatever we are anointed by God to do. We are authorized by God and have the power (muscle) to back it up – the power of the Holy Ghost.
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