Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Ephesians 1:18-19

" 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, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength..."

First thought is that I hate it when the end in the middle of a sentence!!!!
Don't be surprised tomorrow when I start at the BEGINNING of the sentence!

Okay, WOW! I have struggled with a friend recently who has had many rough days. She has struggled with suicidal thoughts and extreme emotions and I have struggled with how to help her. Last night was rough for me because even though she wasn't suicidal, she was down and I was overreacting and worrying....then I see this verse this morning. I have been focused on how to get her to NOT feel suicidal and now I see that I need to focus on praying for her heart to be opened to the hope that God has in store for her! It is through HIS power that she can overcome the struggles, not through anything I can say! Do we truly pray for enlightenment for other people? Do we truly pray that our family, friends and pastors will be enlightened to God's awesome power? Probably we do, but do we pray for our enemies? The people we don't really like? I know Paul is speaking to the church, but even in church there are people we just don't like as well, or we have personality differences with, or that we simply don't know well. Isn't it easier to just ignore them? Instead we are guided toward prayer for them.

I know that God has called us to enlighten our hearts. That comes through His Word and prayer. In order for me to effectively support others in Christ, I need to be sure that I am keeping myself open to His enlightenment. I need to stay in His Word DAILY! I have loved this study because I have been in the Word daily and I know satan doesn't like it because I have also fought with opposition. I am going to quit letting that opposition drag me down and be thankful that I am getting close enough to God to make satan worried! That is good! Get worried because I am going to get closer yet! I am going to spend time this week continuing to pray for our church family that there would be an enlightening and renewal.

Father, You know my every thought. You know when they are selfish, focused on me. Help me shift my focus to You. Help me recognize when I am straying from your hope and draw me near again! Help me be an encouragement to others to guide them to your inheritance for YOUR sake! Help me focus on YOU! And Thank YOU for what You have done for me, my family and my friends. You chose to save us, offering Your son as a living sacrifice for my junk! What a display of love! Amazing! Center my heart today, this week, this month, this year where it belongs, not on earthly things, but on your glorious inheritance!
Amen!

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