Friday, June 26, 2015

Just talk with Jesus: Light

Make your ways known to me, Lord, teach me Your paths. (Psalm 25:4)



St. Patrick prayed, “Christ, as a light, illumine and guide me.” This reminds me of Paul’s prayer for enlightenment:

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be may be enlightened…(Ephesians 1:17-18)

Read Ephesians 1 here.

The Greek word Paul used for revelation in Ephesians 1:18 means “uncovering” or “revealing God;” knowledge is “exact or full knowledge, discernment, recognition.” Think for a moment about carrying a flashlight on a dark night: it allows you to discern dangers on your path as well as to recognize the familiar faces of friends. It uncovers truth and increases your knowledge about your surroundings. Jesus is your Light on dark or uncertain days.

Here are three more prayers from Paul, asking for guidance and knowledge:

And I pray this, that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you can determine what really matters and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ. 
(Philippians 1:10 HCSB)
…We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. (Colossians 1:9 HCSB)
…That they may have all the riches of assured understanding, and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. In Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. 
(Colossians 2:2-3 HCSB)

These are really beautiful requests to make for friends, for children or for people in ministry. If you read this blog regularly, you might remember that I blogged about Jesus, the Light recently. This is one of my favorite prayer words and topics. Talk to the Light, and ask for light. Tell him you trust him to be your light today.

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I am revisiting the themes of several of my books as I seek to “just be with Jesus." Today's post is adapted from my book Sacred Signposts. I am putting aside lengthy readings for a season, and instead looking for one word or phrase to carry through the day. Today’s word, for me, is "treasure."


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