ENLIGHTEN ME
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 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 His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 1:17-20 (NIV)
Most people are born with five senses - smelling, seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling – though many live without one or more of those senses. But when we’re born spiritually and start a relationship with Jesus, our spirit is made alive, and God gives us a spiritual sense to help us know Him. God’s Spirit communicates with my spirit to help me see things I wouldn’t see or understand without His Spirit. That is what’s meant by the eyes of your heart – it’s your spiritual sense. The Spirit of God enlightens us so we can know the hope He offers, the wonderful benefits of knowing Him, and the same power that raised Christ from the dead. The Spirit of God enables us to see things we can’t see physically.
God’s Spirit wants us to know God’s message to us so we might get to know God better. The Bible is supernatural, not only in that it’s God’s Word, but it’s a book that allows us to talk with the author while we’re reading it. As I read it, I can ask, Lord, what do you want me to know? How can I live this today? The Holy Spirit can open our spiritual eyes, giving us thoughts that enlighten us regarding what God is saying to us. That’s why we can receive different messages from God when we read the same passage on different days. May our spiritual senses be enlightened by God’s Spirit so we’ll understand God’s message to us, sense God speaking directly to our current situation and understand things from God’s Word that we’ve never seen before.
APPLICATION: As you read God’s Word, ask Him to enlighten you regarding what He wants you to know and do.
PRAYER: Father, what does your Spirit want me to know about you from your Word today?
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?