Open My Eyes

God responds to prayer. God is active.

I am not exactly sure why but God has hardwired this world to respond to prayer. Prayer changes things! Prayer is a reminder that God is active in our world. This is probably one reason the Psalms are so powerful, or at least they could be.

What type of prayers are you praying?

Reflect on what you have prayed for over the past week, or maybe just even the past couple days. What themes are present? I know when I was on vacation over Memorial Day Pastor Paul preached on the Lord’s Prayer.

Psalms is loaded with prayers.

The beauty of studying and reading the Psalms is because of the many prayers one can find in them. When we rightly understand the Psalms we can pray powerful prayers filled with Scripture to help us pray.

Do not pray if you won’t obey

This is my disclaimer and “warning label”. There is nothing more dangerous to us than to pray with words if our feet won’t move. Prayer is important but is also dangerous.

Prayer 1: Open my eyes.

Verse 18 We have to want to see what Scripture has to say. This is not just to read in order to “check it off” but to truly see what is there.

Reading Scripture should help us feel “homesick”.

Though we know we are to be at home here on Earth. The verse in 19 is not about a cosmic claim but instead of an idea that where I am supposed to feel most at home I am not.

Scripture provides strength in hard times.

In the “Gimel and Daleth” stanzas of our Psalm this theme has stood out for me recently. If we will allow Scripture to guide and be our counselor we will find strength in the words we read.

God’s Word is a promise.

We read in verse 28 the English word “promise”. However in the Hebrew language, from my understanding, there isn’t a true word to describe a promise of God. The closest is the covenant language we find. There are many words to talk about humans making a promise or vow to God. A way to understand stand this is God’s Word is the final say. When God says something it will be done because that is His nature.

Prayer 2: Teach me, Lord

There is not better teacher than the Lord himself. This does not mean you can only do things alone. No, Ephesians is very clear God has gifted others to help teach and we need each other. However, do you really want to learn?

Prayer 3: Give me understanding.

Very similar to the previous prayer but notice the end action—keep your law. Do you want to obey Christ?

Prayer 4: Direct me.

We can have all the knowledge and understanding but if we are not going to do anything about it does it really matter?

Prayer 5: Turn me away from selfish and worthless things.

We discussed this just a bit last week. The goal of Scripture will never lead us to longing for self-gain but Christ-gain. We must be willing to see there is something greater than ourselves and the “shiny objects” of this world.

Prayer 6: Fulfill your word.

We as people of God ought to pray God’s word is fulfilled. Now, we must also realize we do not always get how this is supposed to look like, no wonder we need the other 5 prayers first. But in the end the goal is God would do what He said He would do.

Prayer 7: Preserve my life in you!

This is a prayer of praise and of the promise of Scripture.

Be in Christ and His Word!

If you are not in Christ nor obeying His Word than as I said earlier these prayers are very dangerous. But because of the gift of the Holy Spirit if we are in Christ we know we can not only pray these prayers but we can live them out. The question is never “can we” but “will we”.