Wednesday 17 August 2022
- Bible Book:
- Ephesians
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints. (vs 17-18)
Background
I grew up in the Methodist Church and was fortunate enough to be part of a Church that took Bible study seriously,. When I became too old for Sunday school I could attend a youth group that had weekly Bible study (which we all took turns at leading), and after that I joined weekly house groups with yet more Bible study. Each month all the house groups would come together in the church building for fellowship and teaching, normally led by one of the local preachers. I grew up believing that this was the norm for church life, and perhaps it was, but sadly this does not seem to be the case now. I have met so many faithful and loving Christians who have not done any Bible study since leaving Sunday school, with the result their faith has not grown beyond the teachings of their Sunday school days.
In this letter Paul is pleased to hear about the faith and love of the early Christians, but he prays they will find wisdom and revelation so that they will know God better. Through the wisdom that Paul prays for the eyes of the believers will be opened to the true glory of God.
As I reflect on the churches I have been sent to serve, the state of the Methodist Church, and the wider church in general, I wonder if we need to pray, as Paul did, for wisdom and revelation from God. As my Nan would always say, you are never too old to learn something new and you will never know everything.
To Ponder:
- How would you rate your knowledge of the immeasurable greatness of God? What could you do to make it better?
- In a world that is so reliant on the written word for teaching, how can we help teach and instruct those for whom the written word is a barrier to learning?
- If you are part of a church, how could you help it to grow its teaching and learning?
- Don’t forget to keep praying for the person you thought about on Sunday.
Prayer
God whose greatness is beyond our imagination and comprehension, help to increase our wisdom and knowledge of you. Inspire us to read and study your word and give us a thirst to know more about you. Amen.