Search
Search

SIXTH DAY: Keeping the End in Mind.

daily text logoJune 20, 2015

Ephesians 1:17-19a

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. 

The Sixth Day Exercise

sixth-day-exercise-dt

In the New Testament, this is how a leader prays for the people in their charge. It is a prayer we know is in accord with the will of God.

There are essentially two prayers here and they are attached to four outcomes. First for the prayers:

1. He prays that God will give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Outcome #1: That we may know God our Father better.

2. He prays that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened.

Outcome #2: That we may know the hope to which God has called us.

Outcome #3: That we may know the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people.

Outcome #4: That we may know his incomparably great power for those who believe.

These prayers and outcomes are sequenced. First we must know God better. This leads to knowing the nature of our calling, which leads to knowing the riches of this relationship and called life in the community of God’s people. Finally, we mature into the kind of people who can be entrusted with the power of God.

One of the big problems we face on this journey is to focus the outcomes and forget the prayers. We want “his incomparably great power for those who believe,” yet we forget the fundamental prayer is that we may have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation and that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened. ‘

As we move forward with the weekly Sixth Day Exercise we need to keep these prayers before us. The goal is not to be faithful to fulfill Christian duties. The goal is to have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that we may know God better. The goal is that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened so we may know our calling, the wealth of God’s Kingdom and his incomparably great power that comes to those who believe.

In the coming days as we move forward with the Daily Text I will be praying in this way for you. I would treasure your prayers for me in this way as well.

We need the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so we can know God better. We need the eyes of our hearts to be enlightened so we can grow up into the powerful and abundant life to which we have been called.

DO THE SIXTH DAY EXERCISE HERE.

SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD, FALL AFRESH ON ME.

P.S. Join the Daily Text Fasting Challenge. It’s 40 days, one day per week at a time, over the next 52 weeks. It’s a food only fast. Begins after supper on one day and ends at 4pm the next- 2 meals. Liquids fine. Fasting goes better together. I’ll send you a short weekly encouragement email if you register.– sign up here.

LEND YOUR ENDORSEMENT TO THE DAILY TEXT. Consider sharing a witness of the difference being made in your life through the Daily Text. People follow people because of other people. Leave your endorsement here when you’re ready. And thank you.

J.D. Walt writes daily for Seedbed’s Daily Text. He serves as Seedbed’s Sower in Chief. Follow him @jdwalt on Twitter or email him at jd.walt@seedbed.com. Get the Daily Text delivered to your inbox fresh every morning. Subscribe HERE.

All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Share today's Wake-Up Call!

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

WHAT IS THIS? Wake-Up Call is a daily encouragement to shake off the slumber of our busy lives and turn our eyes toward Jesus. Each morning our community gathers around a Scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a few short questions, inviting us to reorient our lives around the love of Jesus that transforms our hearts, homes, churches, and cities.

Comments and Discussion