When a truth is concealed from us, we do not have the ability on our own to expose it.
In the previous posts we began looking at why prayer is important for learning truth about God, his Scriptures, and all the great questions of life. Here is the fourth surprising reason to pray for understanding.
4. Some truths are actually concealed from us.
Some truths are beyond our understanding not only because of our natural limitations but also because someone is concealing them from us. Someone is hiding the truth from us like the Wheel of Fortune game show covers letters and words.
Jesus once said to his disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.” (Luke 9:44–45)
In his wisdom, God reveals many things—but he also conceals many truths. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
Satan also conceals truths. Paul writes of the Jews, “In their case the god of this world [that is, Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
On the road to Emmaus
After the death and resurrection of Jesus, the risen Christ met with two of his disciples walking to a nearby town. You would think that these men who had been learning from Jesus for some time would have immediately recognized him. But Luke 24:16 says, “Their eyes were kept from recognizing him.”
It does not say they did not recognize him because his appearance had changed. Rather, the obstacle was “their eyes.” Their eyes were “kept from recognizing him.” Did God do this to them or did Satan?
I think it was God, who had a purpose in the concealment. Later, as they sat at table together and Jesus broke their bread, “…their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight” (Luke 24:31).
So we should pray to understand truth because it is possible that truth is being concealed from us.
There is a fifth reason why prayer is an essential guide into truth, and we will explore that next week.