Eyes to see...
Beyond the five senses.
“God, give me eyes to see people in a new way.”
I’ve heard this exact phrasing multiple times throughout my life (or some variation of it).
And, on a class trip over a decade ago, we went out to serve the homeless community in Nashville, TN.
I remember people crying because they felt so blessed to help out these people in need…and then a prayer similar to this was said.
“Give us eyes to see and ears to hear…”
But these prayers aren’t about our ability to actually see or hear. They are about observing things beyond our normal awareness.
Jesus says many times, “If you have ears to hear…” and he doesn’t mean just the ability to hear, but to listen.
Likewise, when we are asking for eyes to see or ears to hear, we don’t mean for our senses to become superhuman. We mean for God to help us move beyond ourselves and observe what we normally can’t on our own.
To ask for God to grant us eyes, ears, hearts, etc. has little to do with our ability to notice…and everything to do with asking for us to understand.
My prayer for today
Our Father, help us to understand the world around us the way you do. Spirit, help us to take in our surroundings with a clarity and understanding only you can give us. Amen.
Remember
Ask the Spirit to show you something you’ve never noticed before.
And prepare to be surprised.