Do you ever feel at a loss as to know how to please the Lord? It may be because you need to read your Bible more, because His Word is rich in showing us how to please Him and how to walk as Jesus walked, in total surrender to Yahweh.
Total surrender. That is a primary way to please God the Father.
There are two prayers we will consider here that will show us how to please the Lord and to walk worthy of Him; one in Ephesians and the other in Colossians. Both deal with prayers for knowledge and wisdom. In truth, how can we please God and walk in His will without knowledge of His Word and without His guidance? You might want to read a previous post on being wise by knowing God's will. Here we will explore walking worthy of the Lord with the help of wisdom from Him and as found in His Holy Word.
"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints:" - Ephesians 1:17-18
The above prayer for wisdom and knowledge in Ephesians is the first prayer we will discuss. To know God is to be wise. This is not just mere acknowledgment, but true knowledge. The Ephesians did possess knowledge and enlightenment to some degree, but Paul prayed that they might more clearly and fully hold their present views. Since we are imperfect humans and prone to error, we are not totally pure and we may have some dimness or not have a clear understanding where spiritual things are concerned. That is why we need to be constantly reading the Bible and in frequent prayer. Pray for God to give you a clear understanding of spiritual matters.
Until the Lord opens the eyes of our heart, we are as if blind.
I remember, before I was truly born-again, there was something like a veil that prevented me from completely comprehending revelations from the Lord; from understanding the Bible as I should have. I may still understand in part, but the Lord has opened my eyes and my heart to a greater degree than ever I could have imagined.
Colossians 1:9-10 is part of the second prayer for wisdom that we will now consider:
(9) " For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (10) that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"
Let's just concentrate on verse 10 above, particularly "that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." We can see from this verse that to please God, we need to be fruitful in good works, and to also increase in the knowledge of God. When we increase in the knowledge of God, we grow closer to Him and can therefore have a close and personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. God wants to fellowship with us, and this is possible only with a close, intimate relationship with Him. That pleases Him. And if we have this close bond, we will naturally be inclined to please God in return and to obey Him and keep His commandments. That is part of walking worthy of the Lord. When we put God's kingdom first and endeavor to be as Christ-like as we possibly can, that is also pleasing to God and walking worthy of Him. Put God and Jesus first in your life.
Be filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and walk in the Spirit and crucify the flesh, killing the lusts and desires which are of the world (Galatians 5:24-25).
All of these things may seem impossible to do but, if you are a true believer, the Holy Spirit will help you to walk worthy of the Lord. Be constantly in the Holy Word and fervent in prayer; it will enable you to draw close to the Lord and to understand and do His will.
"Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom." - Charles Spurgeon
"Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty, acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can Divine wisdom become ours." - J.I. Packer
I have not mentioned love. "God is love" (1 John 4:16), "He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." Without love, we cannot truly begin to walk worthy of the Lord and please Him.
If we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and with all of our strength (Mark 12:30), we will gladly obey Him and display true godliness, which enables us to walk worthy of Him.
First, be sure you are walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Get rid of all worldly lusts and desires and sinful thoughts.
"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." - Romans 8:8
You need to have vigorous faith to please the Lord, as that will enable you to be strong and to endure trials and to wait on the Lord, thereby walking worthy of Him.
"For we walk by faith, not by sight:" - 2 Corinthians 5:7
"The just shall live by faith." - Galatians 3:11b
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." - Hebrews 11:6
"Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and please God, so ye would abound more and more." - 1 Thessalonians 4:1
"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints:" - Ephesians 1:17-18
The above prayer for wisdom and knowledge in Ephesians is the first prayer we will discuss. To know God is to be wise. This is not just mere acknowledgment, but true knowledge. The Ephesians did possess knowledge and enlightenment to some degree, but Paul prayed that they might more clearly and fully hold their present views. Since we are imperfect humans and prone to error, we are not totally pure and we may have some dimness or not have a clear understanding where spiritual things are concerned. That is why we need to be constantly reading the Bible and in frequent prayer. Pray for God to give you a clear understanding of spiritual matters.
Until the Lord opens the eyes of our heart, we are as if blind.
I remember, before I was truly born-again, there was something like a veil that prevented me from completely comprehending revelations from the Lord; from understanding the Bible as I should have. I may still understand in part, but the Lord has opened my eyes and my heart to a greater degree than ever I could have imagined.
(9) " For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (10) that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"
Let's just concentrate on verse 10 above, particularly "that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." We can see from this verse that to please God, we need to be fruitful in good works, and to also increase in the knowledge of God. When we increase in the knowledge of God, we grow closer to Him and can therefore have a close and personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. God wants to fellowship with us, and this is possible only with a close, intimate relationship with Him. That pleases Him. And if we have this close bond, we will naturally be inclined to please God in return and to obey Him and keep His commandments. That is part of walking worthy of the Lord. When we put God's kingdom first and endeavor to be as Christ-like as we possibly can, that is also pleasing to God and walking worthy of Him. Put God and Jesus first in your life.
Be filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and walk in the Spirit and crucify the flesh, killing the lusts and desires which are of the world (Galatians 5:24-25).
All of these things may seem impossible to do but, if you are a true believer, the Holy Spirit will help you to walk worthy of the Lord. Be constantly in the Holy Word and fervent in prayer; it will enable you to draw close to the Lord and to understand and do His will.
"Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty, acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can Divine wisdom become ours." - J.I. Packer
I have not mentioned love. "God is love" (1 John 4:16), "He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." Without love, we cannot truly begin to walk worthy of the Lord and please Him.
If we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and with all of our strength (Mark 12:30), we will gladly obey Him and display true godliness, which enables us to walk worthy of Him.
First, be sure you are walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Get rid of all worldly lusts and desires and sinful thoughts.
"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." - Romans 8:8
You need to have vigorous faith to please the Lord, as that will enable you to be strong and to endure trials and to wait on the Lord, thereby walking worthy of Him.
"For we walk by faith, not by sight:" - 2 Corinthians 5:7
"The just shall live by faith." - Galatians 3:11b
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." - Hebrews 11:6
"Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and please God, so ye would abound more and more." - 1 Thessalonians 4:1
