Three Things That Come From Knowing God

February 2015

Dear Friend,

I was reading Ephesians 1:17-23 recently when that passage was made alive to me. I saw some things in Paul's prayer for the Ephesian Church that blessed me as it gave me a revelation of what it really meant to pray that same prayer that Paul prayed; not only for myself but for those around me.

Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesians 1:16;

Ephesians 1:16 (NKJV)
[I] do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

Some people can and have taken that to the extent that it became a bondage to them, praying long prayers for the people who they knew. When Paul said he mentioned them in his prayers, the word for mention really does mean 'mention'! It's perfectly all right to just mention the names of people you're praying for and leave it at there; don't feel condemned because someone else shared on praying long hours for that same person!

This is what Paul prayed for them:

Ephesians 1:17-18(a)
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;

The Amplified Translation of Ephesians 1:18(a) brings it out as having the 'eyes of your heart flooded with light'

Paul prayed that the Church would have wisdom and revelation in knowing God. The word used for knowledge would also imply the idea of becoming fully acquainted with God! This tells me that Paul prayed for the Church to have a much closer and deeper relationship with God; so as to become fully acquainted with Him!

And as we become more acquainted with God, we can see a much clearer picture of Him as He is in the Word. David said of God in Psalm 119:130,

Psalm 119:130 (NKJV)
The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple

And what blessed me tremendously was the three things that comes about as a direct result of knowing Him intimately:

Ephesians 1:18(b)-19(a) (NKJV)
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,

1. You know the hope to which God has called you.

As I prayed this prayer for myself, I found that I started to know exactly what God was calling me to do, and that it was a living hope that He would bring to pass as I cooperated with Him. God says clearly in Jeremiah 29:11:

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

And as you continue knowing Him intimately, He gives you insight into the plans and purposes that He ordained for you even before you were born.

2. You know the riches of what He has in you

The Passion Translation reads this way:

Ephesians 1:18(b)
And I pray that you will truly experience all the riches of this wealth that has been freely given to all His holy ones, for you are His true inheritance!

You and I are God's true inheritance! And Paul prayed that we would truly experience everything that God has given us freely as His children!

Romans 8:32 describes the love of God for us, and His willingness to give us everything that Jesus died to restore:

Romans 8:32 (NKJV)
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

When you realize that God has given you all things, it will put a much different spin on the way you pray. You'll pray boldly as a child of God, knowing that He won't deny you the petition that you ask of Him; as you ask according to His will!

3. You know the magnitude of the power God has placed behind you.

Ephesians 1:19(a) to 23 describes the magnitude of the power that God has placed within you and I. That same power that raised Jesus from the dead is sitting resident in us! That very power is the Holy Spirit, who is the source of power that we need to be able to carry out the plan of God for our lives!

Paul also write in Ephesians 3:20

Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV)

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 

God is able to do much more than what we can even dare to ask or imagine; and He's made it relative to the power that is in us. As we get a clearer revelation of the magnitude of the power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead; and that God has placed that same power within us, we'll be more bold with our prayers, knowing that God is able to do much more than what we asked.

So I encourage you. Start praying Ephesians 1:17-19. Don't just pray it for yourself. Pray it for your family, your friends, your loved ones. And see them walk in God's plan for their lives!

I pray this for you,

Ken