Yesterday, during prayer, I was pressing into a couple of verses from Ephesians 1:17-20 NIV:
[17] "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. [18] I pray 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 his holy people, [19] and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength [20] he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,"
Lately I have been praying bolder prayers than normal concerning the release of the Power of God in our midst, and these verses certainly fit that theme. I have also been praying for greater revelation, greater understanding of Him and His ways, drawing us into greater revelation, that we might understand mor than we do at present, and again these verses from Paul were right on target with those prayers.
Looking back at these verses, it is amazing to think that God wants us to know His power, which is incomparable to any other power! He wants us to know Him better, knowing Him as the God of Power, the God of Hope and the God of a rich inheritance. This power is the same Power that raised Jesus from the dead, that defeated death, the shattered the gates of Sheol, that set the captives free! He wants us to know Him in this way!
I believe that the main reason He wants us to know Him this way, is that we might faithfully represent Him, faithfully express His character to those we around us, and to those we meet in ministry. He is a powerful God, and we would be remiss if we did no encounter Him in this way, nor pass that understanding to others.
As I was writing that I was reminded of how little my kids knew about what I did for my job for most of their lives. However, in the last several years, both have been able to intern with me, and receive training from me, joining me in my daily work, and now they have a much better understanding of what I do, of what I understand and of my character as seen in the work place. When asked what I do, they can now answer very clearly, for they have seen me work, and understand well my character. I realized this is exactly what the Lord is inviting us into, a time of seeing Him work, of coming to understand more about who He is, and what He is capable of doing!
As I was praying some these prayers yesterday, I was reminded of some of David's Psalms, and particularly, Psalm 145. It seems to me that David, is essentially expressing this same prayer, this same understanding of God's character, and reflecting on it to the benefit of the next generation. Here is his psalm - Psalm 145:1-21 NIV:
[1] "I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.
[2] Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.
[3] Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
[4] One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.
[5] They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty---and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
[6] They tell of the power of your awesome works---and I will proclaim your great deeds.
[7] They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
[8] The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
[9] The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
[10] All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you.
[11] They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
[12] so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
[13] Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.
[14] The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
[15] The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
[16] You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
[17] The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.
[18] The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
[19] He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
[20] The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
[21] My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever."
Yes Lord, we want to proclaim Your Power, Your Character to the next generation! We want to speak of You as someone we know intimately, not just someone we have heard of, someone we have read of in our Bible. We want to know Your incomparably great power, unleashed in our lives, that we might give You all the Honor and Glory You deserve!
We want our praises to rise to heaven like sweet incense, joining with the praise and worship that is, even now, constantly erupting in Your throne room, as You reveal Your greatness and power, Your awesome character in new ways!
Amen and Amen!
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