The reason that Paul prays for spiritual wisdom and understanding Is because we are all prone to think wisely according to the wisdom this world keeps (James 3:15). What Paul prays is that this group of people would have their eyes open to God’s plan, His mind, His heart, and that every decision, every thought, every action would reflect what God wanted. Instead of looking for answers and contentment everywhere besides God alone, we fix our focus, attention, and desire on knowing God and understanding what He wants from us. This lead D.A Carson to pen these words:
“Is there anything that our generation more urgently needs than this? Some of us have chased every fad, scrambled aboard every bandwagon, adopted every gimmick, pursued every encounter with the media. Others of us have rigidly cherished every tradition, determined to change as little as possible, worshiped what is aged simply because it is aged. But where are the men and women whose knowledge of God is as fresh as it is profound, whose delight in thinking God’s thoughts after him ensures that their study of Scripture is never merely intellectual and self-distancing, whose desire to please God easily outstrips residual and corrupting desires to shine in public.”
From D.A. Carson's The Call to Spiritual Reformation.
The above is excerpted from a sermon by Pastor Jordan entitled "Praying for Perspective." You can read or listen to the whole message here
