And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17
I’ve written before on this verse, on this account of Elisha helping his young attendant see with spiritual eyes rather than just physical ones. Back in November, some friends and I took a weekend for retreat, and this was the verse I brought home. We didn’t discuss it or mention it at all. We spent the time considering worship. The posts for the last few weeks hit on some of the ideas we focused on.
I won’t go into all the details of how I got from the retreat to this point, but Elisha’s prayer became my own prayer for myself. I am praying for God to open my eyes.
Open my eyes to Your work around me.
I don’t want to look around in hopelessness or frustration because it seems You are silent or disengaged, but rather in confidence that You see and know, that You have come down to deliver.
Open my eyes to the needs of others.
I don’t want to be so inwardly focused that I miss Your work in the lives of others. Show me how I can come alongside or carry a burden. Show me where my loaves and fishes can be multiplied, and give me the willingness to offer them.
Open my eyes to my own sin.
I don’t want to be so blindly self-righteous that I ignore or gloss over my own sinfulness. I have not arrived and I am in daily need of the transformation the gospel brings.
What prayers are you praying right now? Where do You see God at work?