How to Ask Jesus to Explain His Word Today

David W Palmer

(1 Timothy 4:15–16 TPT) “Make all of this your constant meditation and make it real with your life so everyone can see that you are moving forward. Give careful attention to your spiritual life and every cherished truth you teach, for living what you preach will release salvation inside you and to all those who listen to you.”

In the previous two studies, we looked at how God’s word is spiritual food—when it comes alive to us, and when we swallow it in all its meaning and ramifications; and how, when it is spoken to us by Jesus in the spirit, it brings his life to us … the living water of life, which can fill and overflow from us (See: John 7:37–38, Rev. 22:1). We usually experience this as we chew over what he says to us and swallow it. In other words, as led by the Holy Spirit, we take the portions of his word that he is highlighting and ruminate on them until the light of his revelation dawns on us, until we see something with him in the spirit, or until his gift of faith, passion, and the realisation of what he is saying really hits us.

In Mark 4, Jesus illustrated this same point very powerfully:

(Mark 4:10–12 DKJV) And when he was alone, those that were around him with the twelve asked him about the parable. {11} And he said to them, “Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables. {12} So that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand. Lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.”

In Mark 4, Jesus taught parables about God’s word being like seeds. First, he gave the teaching to the crowds in parable form; but afterwards, he explained the meaning to a smaller group of close followers—“those around him with the twelve” (verse 10).

Seeing that this is the way Jesus operates, we need to note in great detail what happened as described here in Mark 4. It seems that not everyone in the crowd understood what he was saying. To them, the word was not life, health, light, and spirit; it was merely a carpenter sitting in a fishing boat talking about farming. However, a select few did gain understanding of the most important teaching ever expounded in all of history in the whole universe. To them Jesus said, “Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God.” I want to know how to be one of the people who receive such knowledge of the mystery of God’s kingdom. Who were these people? And why were they chosen to receive such profound revelation? Can I be like them?

The answer is simple. They were the people who came back to Jesus at the end of his public ministry, and they sat at his feet to learn what it meant. I believe that Jesus is no respecter of persons, and that anyone in the crowd that day could have received the same crucial insight—if only they had come back to sit at Jesus’s feet and ask him to explain it. This is available to us.

How many people hear a great word preached on Sunday or online, and then walk away distracted by others and activities? (We must remember, Jesus said that Satan comes immediately to take away the word that was sown (Mark 4:15). So those who listen and walk away, those who don’t value the word enough to chew it over, lose it to Satan.)

Very few, it seems, go directly to Jesus’s feet to ask him to expand and explain it to them. After all, head knowledge does not feed the inner-man. We need to hear Jesus speak to our hearts to have it enter our spiritual belly. I know that this does happen to some extent, as we listen to God’s anointed servants deliver the prepared word—much like restaurant meals prepared by skilful chefs. However, the deep nourishment of his word is available only to those who return to sit at Jesus’s feet when he is alone, and ask him to explain it to them. This again takes us to Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1. Here, the Holy Spirit shows us how the principle of coming back to sit at Jesus’s feet and asking him to explain what he means, works in our era.

We need to pray this prayer for ourselves, then sit at his feet, meditate his word, drink his living water, and open ourselves to his revelation:

(Ephesians 1:15–20 DKJV) “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love to all the saints, (16) cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; (17) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: {18} the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, {19} And what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power {20} that he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.”

This is a powerful Holy Spirit-given prayer. The apostle Paul certainly understood the New Testament and how it works. As a result, he deemed it absolutely necessary to pray this prayer (and the other prayers he recorded in his writings). I believe we need to pray it for ourselves regularly. We can do this by writing it out and substituting our name into it. For example, put your name or someone else’s name into the gaps in the following, meditate on it, and read it out loud to God until you can learn it “by heart.” Remember to pray it regularly:

“Father, I do not Cease to give thanks for _______, making mention of _______ in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to _______ the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of _________ understanding being enlightened; that _______ may know what is the hope of your calling, and what are the riches of the glory of your inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of your power towards _______ who believe, according to the working of your mighty power, which your wrought in Christ when you raised him from the dead, and set him at your own right hand in the heavenly places.”

After praying this prayer, we need to meditate and “chew-over” God’s word—until we see it, swallow it, and overflow with it. This way, we will be eating his spiritual food—strengthening our spirits; we will be renewing our mind—transforming us from the world’s ways; and we will be receiving faith, light, health, revelation, and life.

Remember: God rules the universe; he is a mighty King; he is a sovereign; he is Lord. He rules with his words; his command is law etc. Therefore, when we fill our hearts with his word until it overflows, when we bring it and confess it before his throne, then the Living Word coming through us (It’s no longer I who lives) is the voice of the sovereign ruler of the universe—who has to be obeyed. It is no longer the voice of a man, but the voice of God. Angels obey, demons must submit, and the Holy Spirit watches over it to bring it to pass (Jer. 1:12).

The following excerpts are from a prophecy given to the author on 2 April 2006:

“I have made you the head and not the tail—authority to Lead/headship;

Authority to rule and reign on this planet,

to rightly divide the word of truth,

to judge with righteous judgement.

Jesus rules the universe with a rod of Iron.

I’ve given you authority says the Lord—authority to release my creative word; this is what dominates people, not choices.

Releasing his word is what leads people:

It is the “living anointed word who saves” that leads my people, that is the “gracious Lord.”

This is the authority to bind and loose.

Come to know me (the living anointed word of God) and receive my anointing.

"I will give you keys.” Who is the “I” that will do this?—the living word.

I will give you the keys of rulership upon this earth,

Come and get it; I freely give says the Lord.”