Open the Eyes of My Heart
Recently, I experienced one of those days where nothing seemed to fall into place. I found myself navigating various situations in just a span of 24 hours, yet it felt as though my mind was not functioning as it should. It was as though I kept making the wrong choice, and I couldn't help but wonder if with a little more thought, I might have done better. I felt unwise.
Discouraged, I prostrated myself before the Lord. I told him what was on my heart. Suddenly, a song comes up in my spirit:
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You
To see You high and lifted up
Shinin' in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy
The song was inspired by Ephesians 1, a letter that Paul is writing to the church of Ephesus. The letter begins with Paul giving the Lord praise for spiritual blessings and the redemption that can be had through Jesus Christ, who showered us in wisdom and prudence.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him” (Ephesians 1:7-10 NKJV).
The wisdom referred to in these scriptures is the kind of insight that comes from the Lord. It is not the limited and flawed wisdom of man, hence why we do not lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6, James 3:15). Wisdom is a gift from God, available to those who earnestly seek it. In addition to this supernatural insight, we were also given prudence. It is the ability to discern the right course of action in various situations. Essentially, through Godly wisdom, we are equipped with the tools to make sound judgment calls and live righteously. Though the world has portrayed Him as such, the Lord is not mysterious. Call up your auntie and respectfully let her know that He in fact does not work in mysterious ways. He has revealed to us His purpose for us! It is for us to inherit the Kingdom and to be united with Him. He gives us the wisdom and prudence that we need so that His plan for our lives can be fulfilled.
Let’s revisit Paul’s letter. After He gives Father His rightful praises, the letter becomes a prayer for the church of Ephesus.
“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 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, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:15-21 NKJV).
What a powerful prayer! Paul is praying that this deep, relational knowledge is unveiled for the church of Ephesus. The knowledge he speaks of is not a superficial knowledge, but instead, an intimate (and therefore, transformative) understanding of the Lord. He is praying that the church sees on a deeper spiritual level. And lastly, he is praying that their understanding is enlightened to the power of what was accomplished through Jesus Christ, a power that is ongoing and continuously effective.
Though I had some pretty unwise moments, these scriptures gave me hope. Father’s words do not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). This means the Word of the Lord is not ineffective and it will achieve what it says. Therefore, I repeated Paul’s prayer for myself. If you have also had some unwise moments, I invite you to repeat this prayer for yourself as well.
Go forth in wisdom!