A SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION
Sunday, April 19, 1998
Foundation scriptures:
Ephesians 1:15-23
15For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which {exists} among you, and your love for all the saints,
16do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention {of you} in my prayers;
17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.
18{I pray that} the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. {These are} in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly {places}
21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come.
22And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
23which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.
(NAS)
Ephesians 3:14-21
14For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,
15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;
17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; {and} that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.
20Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
21to Him {be} the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
(NAS)
I believe that every one of us wants to know God better and we all want a deeper understanding of the things of God. Some people run into trouble because they want a deeper revelation – so deep that God does not even know what they are talking about! Or they want a new revelation – so new that God has not even heard of it! There is no “new” revelation. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The revelation is the same – it is just sitting there, waiting to be uncovered by the sincere, hungry believer. It is “new” because it is new to you! Things are always new the first time that you hear them.
I believe that these two prayers in Ephesians, prayed by Paul, are also the prayers of Jesus for you. God is not withholding Himself from us, we are the ones who do not make the effort to come into His presence to receive from Him. Sometimes we make the effort to know Him better, but because we come with preconceived ideas, we are not open to hear the truth. We should be hungry for the truth, not just for “new” revelation. Pray these prayers sincerely, in faith, out loud over yourself (change the ‘you’ to ‘me’) every day for a month and see what begins to happen! Do not forget to also read your Bible daily with a humble (teachable) spirit. I believe that you will begin to grow incredibly in the things of God.
Recent:
Defeating Strife
These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 AMP
Faith Facts
Faith is persistent
Luke 11:9-10 AMP
So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
John 16:24 AMP
Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.
Faith is single-minded
James 1:5-8 AMP
If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. 6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the
Faith & Praise
[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb. 20 No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, 21 Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. Romans 4:18-21 AMP
Faith is defined as: confidence or trust in a person or thing; a belief that is not based on observed proof or evidence. Abraham had no proof – other than God’s promise to him – that he would have a son. According to his and Sarah’s advanced age and her barrenness, it was physically an