THAT OUR EYES WOULD BE OPENED…
In my upcoming book, ORACLES OF WISDOM: A Journey into the Father’s Heart, there is a prayer that has shaped the book from the beginning. It is not a prayer for more information. It is not even a prayer for greater spiritual knowledge.
It is a prayer that we would see.
When Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus, he asked the Father to give them “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.” He prayed that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened so they could know the hope of His calling, the riches of His inheritance, and the immeasurable greatness of His power toward those who believe (Ephesians 1:17–19).
These believers already knew Christ. They had heard the gospel and put their faith in Him. Yet Paul understood there was still so much more for them to see.
The purpose of receiving wisdom and revelation is not simply that you will learn something new, but that something familiar will suddenly become alive. That a truth you have read many times will move from your head to your heart. That through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, you will recognize another facet of the Father you had not noticed before. This is the wonder of revelation.
Why God Speaks
From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture presents a God who communicates.
He spoke creation into existence. He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden. He spoke to Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, and the prophets. Then, in the fullness of time, He revealed Himself most completely through His Son.
Jesus was not merely a messenger bringing information about God.
He was the revelation of God.
“No one has ever seen God,” John writes, but Jesus “has made Him known” (John 1:18). Jesus Himself told Philip, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
God speaks because God wants to be known. This is an important distinction, especially when talking about revelation. We can easily become fascinated with what God might tell us while missing why He wants to speak in the first place.
Many pursue revelation.
God pursues relationship.
Revelation was never intended to become spiritual currency—a means of proving our maturity, establishing our importance, or possessing information others do not have. Revelation is simply part of the language of relationship. It is what happens when the God who knows us invites us to know Him.
Paul tells us exactly where wisdom and revelation are meant to lead: “…in the knowledge of Him.”
That is the purpose.
Information and Revelation
There is a difference between knowing something about God and having that truth awakened within us by the Holy Spirit.
We have all experienced it. You can read a Scripture dozens of times and understand exactly what it says. Then one day you read those same words and something happens. Suddenly, you see it.
The truth becomes personal. It connects with something in your life. Faith rises. Your perspective changes. Perhaps conviction comes, or hope, or an overwhelming awareness of God’s love.
The words did not change. But something opened within you. That is one of the simplest ways I know to understand revelation.
Information changes what we know.
Revelation changes how we see.
We desperately need both the truth of Scripture and the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Revelation without the foundation of Scripture can easily become subjective and untethered. But biblical information without the Spirit’s illumination can remain merely intellectual—truth we can explain without necessarily living it.
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would teach us and bring His words to our remembrance (John 14:26). He said the Spirit of truth would guide His followers into truth and glorify Christ by taking what belongs to Him and making it known to them (John 16:13–15).
The Holy Spirit does not compete with the written Word.
He illuminates it.
Should We Still Expect Revelation?
The biblical idea of revelation is simple. To reveal is to uncover, disclose, or make known something that was previously unseen or not understood. The New Testament is filled with this language.
Paul prayed for believers to receive wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17). He spoke of God revealing truth by His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10–12). Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would teach, remind, guide, and disclose (John 14:26; 16:13–15).
Revelation is a part of walking with God. These illuminations and insights from the Spirit of God can direct our course, challenge old assumptions, prepare us for what is coming, and help us cooperate with the purposes of God.
But they do not establish another gospel. They help believers recognize and walk in what God has already revealed through Christ.
Scripture remains our authoritative foundation. Anything we believe the Holy Spirit has shown us must be consistent with God’s written Word and submitted to biblical testing and discernment. But our commitment to Scripture should never require us to become suspicious of the Holy Spirit’s ongoing ministry of illumination.
The very Scriptures we treasure tell us to expect His help. The written Word gives us the foundation. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see. And so the stirring becomes a prayer:
“Father, give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. Open the eyes of our hearts. Show us what we have not yet seen. Awaken what we have known only in our minds. Teach us through Your Word and illuminate it by Your Spirit. Above everything else, draw us closer to Your heart.”
*excerpted from ORACLES OF WISDOM: A Journey into the Father’s Heart
Look for its release mid-October, 2026!
