I perceive in your request a heart that yearns for that which is most precious in the sight of God, a true and living knowledge of Himself, not of the mind only, but of the innermost spirit. You have pleaded the very words of the Apostle, and you have done well, for the prayer is not of human invention but comes forth from the deep places of revelation. The cry for the Holy Spirit of wisdom and revelation is the cry of a soul made alive unto God, for no man can truly ask to know the Lord unless the Lord has first given him a heart to know.
Mark well that this knowledge is a heart-knowledge. God does not merely illuminate the intellect; He renews the affections. The promise stands sure: “I will give them a heart to know Me.” There lies the seat of the blessing. The heart is the cistern that must receive the rain of heaven. You have entreated that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened, and this is the work of the Spirit: to pour light into the chambers of the soul, so that you may admire the character of God, not as a cold doctrine, but as that which warms and masters the whole being. A man may know much about God and yet be a stranger to Him, but when the heart is given, there is an acquaintance deeper than words can tell. It is a personal, intimate knowing, a taking hold of God as your own, as a child knows his father’s voice.
You have reached after the hope of His calling and the riches of His inheritance. Here is a deep, indeed, and you do well to seek a measure of its fullness. The hope that sustains us is not a flimsy dream; it is anchored in the power of our Lord’s resurrection. The raising of Christ from the dead is the seal upon the promise, the infallible proof that every word of the Father is true and that the heritage of the saints is secure. Because He lives, we shall live also, and all that the Father has given Him shall come unto Him. This is the evidencing power of the resurrection: it establishes beyond all doubt that the redemption won on Calvary is accepted, and that those who are in Christ are heirs of a glory that shall never fade. Let this truth lie at the bottom of your hope, and you shall not be ashamed.
But you have also pressed into the exceedingly great strength of God toward us who believe. That power is not far off; it is the very power that raised up Jesus and set Him at the right hand of the Majesty on high. And it is toward us, working in us mightily. What can be more comforting than this? The same omnipotence that broke the bars of death and gave Christ dominion over every principality is engaged on behalf of the weakest saint. It is a power for the church, for the body of which He is the living Head. Therefore, if you would know this power, abide in humble union with your Lord. There is no strength for a branch severed from the vine, but abiding in Him, the life that fills Him flows into you. Let this drive you to daily dependence, to a clinging faith that lays hold of the hem of His garment, for it is by faith that we receive the mighty working of God.
I would urge you never to separate the seeking of these blessings from the earnest and constant exercise of prayer. Power with God is the birthright of every prince of God, and it is won upon the knees. Plead the promises, for by them faith finds its warrant. Plead the relationships of grace, you are a son, a member of His household, betrothed unto Christ. Plead the very nature of God, who is love and cannot deny Himself. And when you pray, do so boldly, yet with a heart fully surrendered. He who asks, “Give Me your heart,” will not refuse the soul that brings that gift. Let your heart be wholly His, with no division, no reserve. A divided heart is a dead heart; but a heart poured out wholly before the throne becomes the vessel into which the love of God is shed abroad by the Holy Spirit.
Do not be surprised if your request for such deep knowledge leads you into deep waters. It is often in seasons of trial that we learn the surpassing riches of His grace. Deep calls unto deep, the deep of your necessity calls forth the deep of divine provision. When the floods lift up their voice, the Lord on high is mightier. So when your soul is made to know its own emptiness, then is the time for the fullness of God to be revealed. The love of God is most fully tasted when every earthly prop is removed, and the Comforter takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto you. Be content, then, to walk by faith and not by sight, for the hope that is seen is not hope. Your treasure is hidden, but it is safe in the keeping of Him who has pledged His own Son as the guarantee.
Press on, then, beloved, to know the Lord. Let His gospel be inexpressibly glorious to you, for in it every attribute of the blessed God shines with unrivalled splendor. The knowledge you seek is not for your own indulgence alone; it is that you may be filled with the fullness of God, to the praise of His glory. The more you know Him, the more your heart shall be established in peace, that peace which passeth understanding, keeping your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. And in that peace you shall find strength for every duty and solace in every affliction. The God who has begun this work in you will perfect it unto the day of Christ. Give yourself to Him afresh, and with unwavering eyes behold your risen King, who has all power in heaven and in earth, and who ever lives to make intercession for you.
For this reason, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, WE DO NOT CEASE giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of Our Lord Jesus Christ, The Glorious Father, may give to us The Ho]ly Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to know Him better (Epignonowsko -- deep, personal and intimate acquaintance). Grant the eyes of our heart to be enlightened so we may know the hope of Your calling, the riches of Your glorious inheritance those You called out of darkness to light, and the surpassing greatness of Your power toward us who believe, which You exerted when You raised Christ (The Anointed and Promised King -- Messiah -- Like King David referred to King Saul as "The Lord's Anointed," -- only Jesus is "The True David of Judah's Line," "The Lord's TRUE Anointed") from the dead and seated Him at Your Right Hand in the Heavenly Places, (Right Hand of Power, Dan 7:13-14), far above all other rule, authority, power and dominion, both in this age and the age to come, and everything having been put under subjection under His feet, The Father has made Him the Head of over all things and given You (all) power for the church, which is which is Your body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Thank You and you all in Jesus' Name (Ephesians 1:15-23).
