The Eyes of the Heart

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened (Ephesians 1:17-18, ESV).

In verse 17, Paul is careful to specify exactly which God he means. This was necessary in a pantheistic world where there were many gods. It has almost come to this again in our day. People have many objects of worship and many different concepts of what God is like. To us there is but one God (1 Cor 8:6). He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s look at this prayer more closely. It bears repeating often.

Spirit: Translations vary as to whether this means ‘spirit’ generally or the Holy Spirit. But given that the outcome is ongoing revelation, it must refer to the Holy Spirit

Wisdom: The name Sophia means wisdom. If that is your name you are right here in this verse. True wisdom is not a matter of intelligence or education. It has more to do with character. See James 3:13, 17 where the qualities of wisdom are listed—humility, purity, peace, gentleness, reason, mercy, good fruits, impartiality and sincerity—qualities that even a child may demonstrate. Wise people show their wisdom by the way they live. 

Revelation: A revelation (apokalupsis from which we get ‘apocalypse’) is an unveiling, a disclosure, This is the original title word used in the book of Revelation. It means spiritual perception: seeing things in the Spirit that may not be known otherwise. And it focuses on our knowledge of Christ. First and foremost, we are to know him.

The letters phot are in the centre of the Greek verb for ‘enlighten’. Just as a camera perceives an image and then records it, so Paul prays that we might perceive truths about Jesus and record them in our hearts. And as a camera needs correct illumination to capture a clear image, so we need the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.  

Elisha’s servant saw the hosts of heaven when the prophet prayed, ‘Lord, open his eyes’ (2 Kings 6:17). The Spirit enables us also to see the unseeable; to visualise the invisible. 

In the song ‘Blessed Assurance’, the brilliant hymn-writer Fanny Crosby wrote, ‘Visions of rapture now burst on my sight.’ The thing is that, although she penned thousands of hymns and poems, she had been physically blind since infancy. But spiritually? Spiritually, her eyes were wide open! 

Are you beginning to see the invisible? Now is the time.

What next?

1. How often have you prayed for a spirit of wisdom in the knowledge of Christ? In the light of James 3:17, write down five ways in which such praying might affect your life.

2. The Holy Spirit reveals truth through the Scriptures. What about reading the Word on your knees and asking the Spirit to open the eyes of your heart as you do? 

3. If you know it, use the song ‘Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord’ as a meditation today.