Chapter One - Seeing the Invisible - Devo for 10/22/08

Great Observations by those who have posted in the last couple of days...you're thinking!

READING
Ephesians 1:15-20

Reflection - Illumination = Despair
(From the author) "When I deal with a despairing individual - Christian or non-Christian - I know that I am dealing with a person who has spent some time in recent days reflecting. He has allowed himself to think much about the way his life has not turned out the way he expected. He is thinking about how pointless things are. He has reflection minus illumination. By the phrase "minus illumination" I mean that he has not been "seeing the invisible." There has been little or no illuminated truth penetrating his soul. God is not the biggest concern of his life [at least for that period of time]. He has been existing with little or no personal relationship with Jesus Christ [again, at least for that period of time]."

But spiritually insensible [blind] people don't "see" this. They think other things are the problem. When they despair, rather than acknowledging the poverty of their relationship with Jesus Christ, they seek to medicate the "down" feelings or distract themselves with activity.

QUESTIONS
1. Ouch! Every one of us has probably felt at least a little despair for a time in our young lives. The Apostle Paul knew this is common even for believers, so in Ephesians 1:17-18, what did he pray and ask God to do for the believers?

2. When we despair, we feel powerless to change our circumstances or ourselves. In verse 19, how does Paul describe the power God has to work in our lives?

3. Print out today's verses and start praying them for yourselves and for your parents. (Your parents deal with despair too!)