Learn from Paul’s Prayers

I want to focus today on some of Paul's prayers. When I read his prayers in Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, I felt bad about the carnality of my prayer life, and Paul's prayers affected me so powerfully that my own prayer life has not been the same since.

I saw that Paul never prayed for people to have easy lives or to be delivered from difficulties. Instead, he prayed that they would be able to bear whatever came their way with good temper, that they would be patient, steadfast, and living examples of God's grace to other people. He prayed about the things that are important to God, and I can assure you from experience, He releases incredible power to us when we pray that way. We should care more about our spiritual condition than we do about getting all the things that we want.

Today's verse is one of Paul's prayers. This verse teaches us to pray for a spirit of wisdom and revelation—and that needs to be one of our primary requests. In fact, I believe that asking God for revelation—spiritual insight and understanding—is one of the most important prayers we can pray.

Revelation means "to uncover," and we need to ask God to uncover for us everything that belongs to us in Christ. We need Him to reveal and uncover the truths of the Word revealed to us so that we will understand how to pray for ourselves and for others. When someone tells you about a biblical principle or a spiritual truth, that is a piece of information. But when God helps you understand it, it becomes a revelation—and revelation is something that makes a truth so real to you that nothing can ever take it away.

Prayer of the Day: Father God, I know that wisdom can be ours if we seek it, so here I am, seeking wisdom. Please guide me toward wisdom and revelation to deepen my spiritual life, so that I can completely understand Your truth, amen.