3 Stages of Knowing God’s Will Through Prayer (Ephesians 1:17)

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“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.” (Ephesians 1:17, KJV)

In this prayer, Apostle Paul asked for two divine gifts: the spirit of wisdom and revelation for the Ephesians church. Have you ever had a powerful dream that seemed significant, only to forget its details or struggle to understand its meaning upon waking? In that case, you were under the spirit of revelation but never came under the ministry of the spirit of wisdom. It’s like having the message (spirit of revelation) but lacking the decoder (the spirit of wisdom) to understand it.

That means these two spiritual enablements work together to bring us into a deeper understanding of the three progressive stages below of knowing God’s will as described in Ephesians 1:18-19: ”The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.”

Stage One: The Hope of His Calling

Before time began, before the foundations of the earth were laid, God had a magnificent plan in mind. This plan wasn’t just about creating humanity – it was about partnering with us to accomplish His divine purposes. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” (Ephesians 1:4-5) This verse reveals God’s hope –that we will fulfill our role in His eternal purpose. This isn’t about our personal ambitions or goals; it’s about aligning ourselves with something far greater – God’s cosmic plan for all creation.

Stage Two: The Riches of His Glory

The second stage involves understanding God’s provision for accomplishing His hope. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3) Think of this as God’s divine budget for accomplishing His will. The currency of heaven isn’t gold or silver – it’s grace. “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6)

This understanding revolutionized Paul’s perspective, leading him to declare, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). This wasn’t mere positive thinking; it was a profound recognition that when something aligns with God’s agenda, His grace provides everything needed for its accomplishment.

For example, consider Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, David facing Goliath, or Esther saving her people. In each case, God’s grace – His divine enabling power – proved sufficient for the task. When we understand the riches of His glory, we stop wondering if we have what it takes and start trusting in His unlimited resources.

Stage Three: His Mighty Working Power

The final stage reveals the operational force behind God’s purposes – His incomparable power. If we read Ephesians 1:19 in Greek, we see that Paul uses four distinct Greek words for power in describing this: dunamis, the inherent power or ability, ischus, the endowed power or strength, energia, the operational power or energy  and krato the dominion or ruling power

This concentrated use of power-related terms isn’t mere redundancy; it’s Paul attempting to convey the magnitude of God’s resurrection power. While God’s creative power is certainly impressive – speaking worlds into existence – the power demonstrated in Christ’s resurrection represents an entirely new dimension of divine ability.

This resurrection power proved to be Satan’s ultimate undoing. In Colossians 2:15, we read: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” The Greek word for ‘spoiled’ used here, “apekduomai,” paints a vivid picture drawn from ancient Roman military customs. When a defeated commander surrendered, they would strip off their armor and lay down their weapons – a complete submission to the victor’s authority.

In conclusion, the journey of knowing God’s will through prayer is about progressive revelation. As we commit to prayer, we begin to understand the hope of His calling, trust in the riches of His glory, operate in His mighty power, and finally, become more effective partners in accomplishing His eternal purposes. As you pray today, ask God to grant you both the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you can understand not just what He’s doing in your life, but how it connects to His eternal purpose.

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