THREE ACTION STEPS IN PRAYER

February 7, 2025

[I] do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened. Ephesians 1:16-18a

1. MENTION PEOPLE IN PRAYER. In praying for the Church of Ephesus, Paul sets a pattern and target for us in this modern era. He starts by saying, “[I] do not cease giving thanks for you while making mention of you in my prayers.” Just the mention of someone’s name before the Lord matters. If someone is on your heart all day and they keep coming to mind, take time to pray for them – those awarenesses are promptings toward prayer. When I pray for my family, I use the visual of our family’s annual Christmas card to pray for my wife, kids, and grandkids. I have friends who send out similar cards, and I put them in my planner and pray for them. As a pastor, I have people allotted to my charge, so I pray for them. The Bible requires that we pray on behalf of all people and for our leaders and all who are in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2). 
 
2. PRAY FOR A SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION. God is offering to us something called a spirit of wisdom. Wisdom means insight into the true nature of things. God’s Word is not only the sword that we use to resist evil forces; it also brings discernment and distinction between our finite thinking and God’s infinite love (Hebrews 4:12). This means we can differentiate between what is of God and what is not from Him. When you are wondering what is behind an impression you have, an impulse, an opportunity, a desire – you can ask God for a spirit of wisdom and revelation to know if it is from Him. 
 
3. PRAY THAT THE EYES OF YOUR HEART WILL BE ENLIGHTENED. I have physical eyes. I use them to pay attention to things and notice things when driving or walking. But we have a set of spiritual eyes that God will activate – the eyes of our heart or spirit that can see and understand in a different way. 

Keep praying this prayer in Ephesians for yourself and the people in your life – for your family, coworkers, employees, your boss, for the leaders of your country, and for the lost – that God will give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him and that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened. This prayer worked for Paul the Apostle. It will work for you. As you pray these prayers, watch what takes shape and what God instills in your life. 

PRAY THIS PRAYER:

I thank you, God, that Your Word is a lamp to my feet and that it is a two-edged sword piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. I pray You would give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened. Show me who to pray for. Show me things I need to know. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, amen. (Psalm 119:105; Hebrews 4:12; Eph 1:17-18)
 

God bless You!
Pastor Jeff Perry

rev·​e·​la·​tion, noun
The making known of something that was previously secret or unknown. The divine or supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating to human existence or the world.

^{Copyright © 2025 St. Louis Family Church, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. “Revelation, N.” The New Oxford American Dictionary, 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2010, p. 1493.}