Receiving Spiritual Enlightenment - Drawing Near - John MacArthur
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Eph. 1:18).
Spiritual enlightenment doesn’t come through self-effort or introspective meditation but through God’s Holy Spirit.
Our society has been enamored with the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment, especially since the influx of Eastern thought into the West during the 1960s. Now we are drowning in a sea of false religions and New Age philosophies.
True enlightenment continues to elude many because they have denied its source and have turned to gurus and teachers who have no light to give. They propagate self-effort and introspective meditation, but spiritual enlightenment doesn’t come through such means. It comes only through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14-16). That’s why Paul prayed that God Himself would enlighten the hearts of the Ephesian believers (Eph. 1:18).
We might expect Paul to pray for enlightened minds rather than hearts, but that’
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Eph. 1:18).
Spiritual enlightenment doesn’t come through self-effort or introspective meditation but through God’s Holy Spirit.
Our society has been enamored with the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment, especially since the influx of Eastern thought into the West during the 1960s. Now we are drowning in a sea of false religions and New Age philosophies.
True enlightenment continues to elude many because they have denied its source and have turned to gurus and teachers who have no light to give. They propagate self-effort and introspective meditation, but spiritual enlightenment doesn’t come through such means. It comes only through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14-16). That’s why Paul prayed that God Himself would enlighten the hearts of the Ephesian believers (Eph. 1:18).
We might expect Paul to pray for enlightened minds rather than hearts, but that’
11:04 AM - Jan 24, 2026
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