A Prayer About Seeing with Gospel Eyes
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
Most loving and wise Father, I’ve worn prescription glasses ever since high school, moving from regular to progressive-focus lenses over the course of years. I’ve even had laser surgery on my eyes to help me see more precisely than ever. Yet there’s a seeing, there’s an ophthalmological corrective than can only take place as the gospel does its work on the eyes of my heart.
Even if I could see with 20-15 or 20-10 vision, if I’m only focusing on the “outward appearance” of people and things, I’m still not seeing as you intend. So my prayer is, “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, open the eyes of my heart. I want to see Jesus, and by seeing Jesus more clearly, help me see everything else from his perspective.”
Help me to see people with gospel eyes. Father, when I’m only looking at people with the aesthetic of a fallen heart and world, show what true beauty consists of. When I only see the things in people that irritate or inconvenience me, help me to see their dignity, their brokenness and your image in them. When I only see people in terms of how they might harm or help me, expand my vision beyond my story to your larger story of redemption and restoration. Help me to see what you see in my spouse, my children, my friends… even in total strangers.
Help me to see creation with gospel eyes. Father, don’t let me look at the ocean, the mountains, the stars… sunrises and sunsets, the flora and fauna, or even weather patterns… just in terms of me and my plans. As you open and heal the eyes of my heart, enable me to live more as a worshipful steward of your creation and less as a selfish consumer of your creation.
Help me to see pain and suffering with gospel eyes. Father, sometimes looking at the crucibles, crises and cruel stories of life makes me want to run, hide, fix or deny. Help me to see with the eyes of Jesus when overwhelming need is staring me down. So very Amen, I pray, in Jesus’ tender and healing name.
