Enlightened

“I pray also 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 the saints….” Ephesians 1:18

I chewed on and prayed about this verse for a while yesterday.  I chewed on the phrase, “may the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that….”  What I’m also considering is this: isn’t knowing “the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” just something we do? Hear  a great sermon…read a great Bible verse…study and figure it out? And  presto!

Maybe. But.

All the listening, reading, and studying will mean little if we are not enlightened by God. 

Every Sunday in worship, I pray a ‘prayer of illumination” just before reading the Scripture.  That God’s spirit would illumine the reading of and understanding of the Word.  I also pray for the Holy Spirit to “enlighten” me any time before I read God’s Word.  That does not lessen the need for hearing and studying; God's light is what makes even that effort worthwhile.  Because you can listen, read and study all you want, but unless you are open to God’s movement, God’s light, you won’t get it.  The riches will not find you. I had a few seminary professors that knew the Scriptures inside and out, but did not know “the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”  At times this was both breathtaking and heartbreaking.  

Here is a challenge.  For the next few days, pray a quick prayer before you read anything from the Bible.  And see what happens. And maybe you’ll gain a deeper appreciation of “the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”  It’s a God given gift that you can have….

Have a great weekend friends!