Open Our Eyes, Lord

 

 “Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, 

and he looked and saw the hills

 full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 

2 Kings 6:17

When Elisha’s servant saw enemy forces surrounding their city, he panicked. But Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord,” and suddenly the servant saw what had been there all along—God’s army, surrounding them in protection. ( 2 Kings 6:15-17)The visible threat was real, but God’s unseen presence was more powerful still.

The apostle Paul experienced a similar unveiling on the road to Damascus. Blinded by a heavenly light, he heard the risen Jesus speak his name: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4). That moment was more than a dramatic conversion; it was a mystical encounter with the living Christ. Later, in a trance at the temple, Paul saw Jesus again, commissioning him to preach to the Gentiles (Acts 22:17–21). These weren’t just visions—they were revelations that transformed Paul’s entire perception of reality.

Eugene Peterson wrote, “A mystic is not someone who sees things that aren’t there, but one who sees what truly is.” Paul had seen Christ, and it redefined everything. He no longer feared suffering, opposition, or even death. As William Barclay observed, “Paul had seen eternity; no threats or beatings could terrify him now.”

Walter Brueggemann calls this “prophetic imagination”—the gift of seeing what others cannot yet see. Elisha saw it. Paul lived it. And we are invited into it. Prayer opens our eyes. Faith sharpens our vision. When we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen (2 Corinthians 4:18), we begin to see as God sees.

So today, if fear surrounds you, or if the world looks dark and hopeless, pray Elisha’s prayer: “Lord, open my eyes.” The hills are still full of fire. Heaven still surrounds us. Christ is still near.

Prayer:

Lord, open my eyes. Let me see Your presence and power even in the face of fear. Help me to live with eyes of faith, trusting that You are greater than anything that threatens me. Thank You for the unseen help that always surrounds me. Amen.