Paul's Four Keys For "Getting Wisdom"

I. Begin by Thanking God

(verses 15-16)

A. Paul thanked God for their faith (verse 15).

B. Paul thanked God for their love for one another (verse 15).

C. Paul thanked God for them continuously (verse 16).

D. We can thank God for His generous blessings.

II. Ask God to help you understand His calling

(verses 17, 18)

A. Paul prayed that the believers might come to a genuine understanding of divine truth through the spirit of wisdom and revelation (verse 17).

B. Paul prayed that their understanding would include comprehending the hope of God’s calling–the consummation of God’s purpose in their lives (verse 18).

C. We can pray to understand the hope of God’s calling in our lives.

III. Ask God to help you comprehend the riches of

His glorious inheritance (verse 18)

A. Paul prayed that their understanding would include comprehending the riches of God’s glorious inheritance–God’s inheritance in them as saints (verse 18).

B. We can pray to comprehend the riches of God’s inheritance.

IV. Ask God to help you experience His great power

(verses 18-23)

A. Paul used a number of words to express the reality of God’s great power (verse 19).

• Immeasurable greatness

• Power

• Working

• Vast strength

B. Paul prayed that believers might experience God’s great power (verse 18).

This power is the same power at work in the resurrection of Jesus (verse 20).

This power is the same power at work in exaltation of Jesus (verses 20-23).

C. We can pray to experience God’s power at work in our lives.

Conclusion

Paul’s prayer for wisdom for the believers in Ephesus was not a small prayer.

Not those little prayers are unimportant, but sometimes the scope of what we ask is small and the focus of what we ask is self-centered.

We pray something like this: “Bless me and mine and we’ll all be fine.” This prayer of Paul is a large prayer.

It calls upon the resources of heaven to fill our needy lives. God has an abundance of wisdom that we need desperately.

All too often, we hear the stories of people who have died with substantial wealth, but have lived the last years of their lives like paupers because they were afraid to tap into their resources.

One woman died leaving an estate of $350,000 to her relatives while she had been living in a rundown house, rummaging through trash bins, and dressing in ragged clothes.

She had grown up poor and worked 39 years at a low-paying job.

However, during those years she had amassed an estate of several hundred thousand dollars.

Yet, she died malnourished, refusing to spend money on food.

[The Sun Herald (Biloxi, MS). “Alabama woman lives like pauper, leaves $350,000 estate to relatives,” November 15, 1989.]

Therefore, I ask, “Got wisdom?” Do not live like a spiritual pauper when your Heavenly Father’s storehouse of wisdom is available to you.