In my late teens and early adult life, I was desperate for answers. At just seven weeks old, my oldest daughter had just been diagnosed with Biliary Atresia—and to make matters worse, she was born without a gallbladder. Confusion and fear clouded every decision I made, and in my desperation, I brought her to the altar nearly every week, asking for prayer for her healing. Behind my back and within earshot, some in that church began to whisper as time went on, “Why does she keep going up? Does she have faith?” But I wasn’t looking for pity—I was searching for discernment. As a new believer, I didn’t understand that true clarity doesn’t come from repeated petitions but from divine illumination. Faith isn’t measured by frequency, but by fellowship with the Father. But everything shifted when the light came in. Jesus opened my eyes to a deeper plan—He didn’t just want to heal Angel temporarily; He desired to open my eyes to His eternal plan, even through her illness.
Kingdom Understanding requires More than hearing—it demands illumination, revelation, and response.
“Have you understood all these things?”
This question was asked of Jesus’ disciples not to test their memory, but to probe their spiritual insight. The word “understood” implies a deep connection of truth—Jesus was essentially asking, “Have you connected the dots? Do you get it? Has it sunk in yet? He desired them to truly grasp these kingdom realities, and the answer couldn’t just be a nod of agreement. Grasping this wasn’t optional—it was foundational to operating in kingdom authority. This is what separated them from passive listeners; they were intentionally taught. Spiritual discernment didn’t come automatically.
“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” When we come to understand that one of the reasons Jesus came was to grant us knowledge so we can know Him and remain in Him, we experience true eternal life. It was never Jesus’ intention just to impart knowledge, but He wanted us to have clarity and ultimately know God personally.
Jesus is the bridge between revelation and relationship.
We tend to believe that spiritual understanding automatically comes and that all we have to do is show up, but it is truly a gift of intimacy with Jesus in which He chooses to reveal Himself, not just explaining things to us in His time of fellowship with us. Discernment isn’t automatic—it’s relational. We must know the Author, not just the text. Jesus makes the Father known to us in ways we would not have known otherwise. He may not change your situation through His revelation, but He will change your perception of it.
The opposite of discernment is deception—the enemy of every believer is spiritual confusion. Whenever we are led by what we see as opposed to God’s word, we have entered enemy territory. Since satan is the father of lies, and his ultimate goal is to steal, kill, and destroy those who believe in Jesus Christ, it stands to reason he would thrive in times of uncertainty, offering us counterfeit clarity or confusion. We must be able to discern the difference between God’s voice and that of the adversary. Discernment will always require being anchored in truth. I heard someone say once that because they train bank tellers to study the genuine dollar bill, they know when a counterfeit shows up. To silence the enemy, we must be so rooted in truth that even whispers of deception sound foreign and are easily recognized.
In the book of Acts, a pair of believers were walking along a road called Emmaus when Jesus joined them. They didn’t know who He was at first, because he had veiled his identity, but it was clear He came to do one thing: the bible says He opened their understanding so that they could understand God’s word more clearly. This is something I’ve prayed every time I’ve opened my bible every day for years. Knowing only God is able to grant illumination of His word to see beyond natural things, I ask for the light to come in, that He will continually grant me eyes to see and understand. I don’t just want academic understanding, but spiritual discernment to make sure I am in alignment, not just for information to share, but grace to grow into maturity. It is only through discernment that we can be transformed; all the rest is just good information and doesn’t translate into the kingdom lifestyle.
Today we’re more attuned to headlines than heartlines. Although we can’t truly comprehend everything about everyone’s life, we don’t sense being exposed to their shortcomings as an implication to pray for them, only to gossip further. Discernment sharpens not just what we see—but how we speak. It transforms a gossip session into an intercession. We handle the information we share about others with utmost care and grace.
Time of Reflection:
** Revelation must become realization. I must allow what I’ve heard and seen in Jesus to change the way I perceive myself and the world around me.
** In choosing to ask Jesus for understanding, I’m seeking kingdom principle results He desires.
** What has Jesus shown me lately that I hadn’t fully understood or responded to?
Heart-Probe:
* Have I honestly asked Jesus to give me spiritual understanding, or have I settled for surface-level answers?
Scripture References:
Matthew 13:51
1 John 5:20
John 8:44-45
Psalm 119:18
Rom 12:2
Reference to chronological order of questions #24- Chronological bible
Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I don’t just want to hear Your Word—I want to understand it. Illuminate my heart where confusion lives. Tear down every falsehood, distortion, or deception planted by the enemy. Help me to trust Your divine plan even when it doesn’t make sense to my natural eyes. Give me wisdom and discernment to follow You in truth, no matter what the situation looks like. I invite Your Light into every corner of my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
