Friday, June 7, 2024 – Ephesians 1:18-21 – Open the Eyes of Our Hearts, Lord
Scripture: Ephesians 1:18-21
“18 I pray 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 his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” – Ephesians 1:18-21 (New International Version)
“Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart. I want to see you!” If your religious upbringing was anything like mine, then reading the above-quoted words brings back memories of youth group, retreats, summer camps, and mission trips where you sang Michael W. Smith’s “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” which was written – along with 120 other popular worship songs – by Paul Baloche. About the writing process of “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” Baloche stated, “In Psalm 95, it says, ‘Come let’s sing for joy. Let’s shout out loud. Let’s kneel in worship. Let’s clap our hands.’ That’s all neat, but I began to realize you can teach externals, but unless something is happening from the inside out, it’s just really a form. It’s like a cloud without rain.”
The Apostle Paul understood the fact that unless there is an internal change – unless God is allowed into our inner beings and allowed to begin changing us from the inside out – it is meaningless. You are just singing theological words that mean nothing to you but have a catchy tune. But if change is happening – if God is moving in your life and transforming you into the image of His Son, Jesus – then the eyes of your heart will truly be opened to the hope and inheritance that we have through our personal relationships with Jesus.
Prayer:
Lord, I’ll keep this short and simple. Open the eyes of our hearts. We want to see you!
In Jesus’ glorious name I pray, amen.