Seeing as Prayer

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Ephesians 1:18,19

Prayer is seeing. Prayer is having our eyes opened. It is having the eyes of our hearts enlightened to the hope to which God calls us, to the riches available to us, to the incomparable power of God.

We have been blind with fear. Fear that we were beyond the reach of love. Fear that we were beyond hope. Fear that God would never embrace us or love us as we are.

We have also been blinded by fear of the darkness in our own lives and in the world around us. Fear that the darkness is greater than the light. Fear that the light of God’s unfailing love is not powerful of enough to save us from ourselves or from the darkness in this world.

And we have been blinded by our self preoccupation and pride. We have been blinded by our self-reliance, our greed, our defensiveness. Because of all our fears, we have lived in a fortress of our own making. We have tried to protect ourselves no matter the cost to ourselves or others.

But prayer lets in the light of God’s unfailing love. Brick by brick our fortress walls begin to be removed as we continue in a life of prayer. As the bricks come down, God’s light comes streaming in. Once we were blind, now we begin to see.

As God’s light pours in and our eyes begin to open, we begin to see the hope we have. God has been calling us. God has been drawing us. God has been lovingly knocking at the door of our hearts. God has been calling us to know the hope of life with God now and always.

We also begin to see the richness God has for us. The richness of God’s forgiving, healing love. The richness of having a relationship with our Maker. The richness of the peace and joy that grow in us as we take in the love of God more and more.

And we begin to see the incomparable power of God. The text goes on to say that this is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at the right hand of God. We begin to see that the power of God’s love is far greater than the power of the darkness in us and in the world around us. God, who raised Jesus from the dead, raises us.

God frees us more and more from our self-serving, from our pride, from our self-reliance, from our greed, from our fear, from our defensiveness. God frees us and raises us to live empowered by love.

Prayer is seeing. It opens the eyes of our hearts to the light of God’s unfailing love. To the hope we have in this love, to the riches we have in this love, to the incomparable power of this love.

Open my eyes.
Help me to see
the hope to which you have called us,
the riches you have for us
the incomparable power
of your love.
I am blinded by fears.
Heal my fears.
Free me to see you
and to know
the hope,
the riches,
and the power
of your love.

Prayer suggestion:

Sit quietly, breathing easily and deeply.
Pray the prayer of this text for yourself, in your own words if you choose.
Pray it as well for others in your life.
Invite the Spirit to show you whatever God wants you to see today.