May God Give...

Daily Reading:  Ephesians 1

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might (Ephesians 1.17-19)

Devotional Thought:  Do you ever write out your prayers?  Try it.  It helps you organize your thoughts, and the Holy Spirit will use it to sharpen your thinking about the issues you pray about.  The Apostle Paul often wrote out his prayers.

In this, his first written prayer for the Church in Ephesus, Paul asked God to…

• Give them wisdom.  Living the Christian life requires more than knowledge about God and life; it requires that we know how to use that knowledge!  Reading the Bible is good.  Studying the Bible is better.  Living the Bible is best!

• Give them a Spirit of revelation.  As the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us, he guides us personally and individually. While all are to be holy and loving, not everyone is given identical assignments.  We need the Spirit to reveal what, how, where, when, who.

• Give them improved knowledge of God.  This is not referring simply to theological knowledge, but instead to knowing God in the sense of being his friend.  I want to know Christ!  Not just about him, but to know him!

• Open the eyes of their hearts.  Due to life’s circumstances and our limited exposure, we do not always have our eyes fully opened.  God, who is rich in mercy will open closed eyes when we ask him to.  He does that through the instruction of others and the experiences of life.

• Living in Christ gives us love, power, and hope, but we do not always live up to their full potential.  Paul prayed that the hopes of the Ephesians would be realized, that the resources of heaven would be poured into their lives and that they would live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, I want to know you more and serve you better.  Grant that I would have your Spirit of wisdom and the knowledge of your Word.  May I live daily in the hope of my eternal tomorrows.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 147.1-11

1 Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.

2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.

3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.

5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

6 The LORD lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.

7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre!

8 He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills.

9 He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry.

10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,

11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.