Week 2 Thursday — Walking with the Word
Thursday - Eyes Opened, Hearts Enlightened
Thursday - Eyes Opened, Hearts Enlightened
Introduction
A great example of not realizing what you already have is the classic, ironic story of a woman searching for something on the street outside her small hut.
As the sun was setting, a few people gathered around her and asked, “What have you lost? What are you searching for? Perhaps we can help.” She replied, “I have lost my needle.”
The crowd began helping her, searching along the road, but because the sun was setting, it was becoming difficult to see. Finally, one of them asked, “Where exactly did it fall?”
She replied, “Oh, it didn’t fall on the road. It fell inside my house.”
Everyone stopped in astonishment, and one skeptic yelled, “Then why are you searching for it out here on the road?!” She calmly answered, “For a very simple reason: inside the house there is no light, and on the outside, a little light is still there.”
As the people dispersed laughing, realizing the absurdity of the situation, the irony of the story hits: we often look for happiness, contentment, or “what we want” in the outside world (the road) because it seems brighter, while the thing we are looking for is already in our possession (the house). And so it is with us, searching externally for what God has already deposited in us.
Yesterday, the psalmist prayed, “Give me understanding... incline my heart... turn my eyes... give me life in your ways.” He recognized that transformation requires God’s causative work—that he couldn’t manufacture spiritual insight or heart change on his own.
Today we turn to Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church, and we discover something remarkable: Paul is praying the exact same things the psalmist prayed. He’s asking God to give understanding, enlighten the eyes of the heart, and reveal His power. But Paul goes further—he shows us that what the psalmist longed for has now been accomplished in Christ through the Holy Spirit’s work. What we’re searching for is already inside us. We just need God to turn on the light (the Holy Spirit’s revelation).
Scripture
¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, ¹⁸having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ²⁰that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
— Ephesians 1:16-21 (ESV)
¹And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ²in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—³among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
— Ephesians 2:1-5 (ESV)
Reflection
Paul’s prayer is pastoral and profound. He’s praying for believers—people who already know Christ—yet he recognizes they need ongoing revelation, enlightenment, and understanding. This mirrors the psalmist’s prayer: even though he knew God’s Word, he still needed God to give him understanding and open his eyes.
Notice what Paul asks for: “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” (v. 17). This isn’t academic knowledge. This is experiential, relational knowing. It’s the difference between knowing about someone and truly knowing them. The psalmist wanted to understand God’s precepts; Paul wants us to know God Himself through the Spirit’s revelation.
Then Paul prays that “the eyes of your hearts [may be] enlightened” (v. 18). The psalmist prayed, “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things.” Paul takes it deeper—he’s not just talking about physical eyes, but the eyes of the heart. These are the internal eyes that perceive spiritual reality. Without the Holy Spirit opening these eyes, we can read Scripture and miss everything that matters.
There’s a difference between knowing God’s acts and knowing God’s ways. Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.” Israel saw the miracles—the plagues, the parted sea, the manna—but they only knew God’s acts. Moses knew God’s ways, His nature, His heart. The Israelites saw what God did; Moses understood who God is. This is exactly what Paul is praying for—that we would move beyond just seeing God’s acts to truly knowing His ways, His character, His heart. The eyes of the heart see deeper than physical eyes ever could.
What does Paul want us to see with enlightened hearts? Three things:
First, “the hope to which he has called you.” We need revelation to understand our calling. It’s not just information—it’s a living hope that sustains us through trials and empowers us to run in God’s ways.
Second, “the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” We are God’s inheritance! The psalmist prayed that God would incline his heart to God’s testimonies and not to selfish gain. Paul shows us why: because the true riches are found in belonging to God and being part of His people.
Third, “the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.” This is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. Remember Monday’s prayer? “Give me life according to your word!” Here’s the answer: resurrection power, working in us right now.
Then Paul shifts to Ephesians 2, and the contrast is staggering. “You were dead in your trespasses and sins” (v. 1). We were once like the psalmist clinging to the dust—spiritually dead, following the course of this world, enslaved to our passions. But then come the two most beautiful words in Scripture: “But God” (v. 4).
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (vv. 4-5). This is the ultimate fulfillment of every prayer in Psalm 119. The psalmist cried, “Give me life!” God’s answer is resurrection life in Christ.
The transformation the psalmist longed for—understanding, inclined heart, turned eyes, life in God’s ways—has been accomplished through Christ and applied to us by the Holy Spirit. We’re not just trying harder to live better. We’ve been made alive. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us.
“Even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ.” — This is the way.
Prayer Prompts
Father,
I thank You that what the psalmist longed for, You have accomplished in Christ. Give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. Enlighten the eyes of my heart so I can truly see the hope of my calling, the riches of Your inheritance in me, and the immeasurable greatness of Your power working in me. Forgive me for living as though I’m still dead, still on my own, still powerless. Remind me that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me through Your Spirit. Make me alive to Your truth today. Amen.
Response
Reflect on these questions today:
Paul prays for “the eyes of your hearts [to be] enlightened.” When was the last time God opened your eyes to see something in His Word that you’d never seen before? What would it look like to pray this prayer for yourself regularly?
“You were dead... but God... made us alive.” Do you live like someone who has been raised from the dead with resurrection power, or do you still operate as though you’re spiritually dead and powerless? What would change if you truly believed you’ve been made alive in Christ?
The psalmist needed God to cause transformation; Paul shows us God has already done it in Christ. What area of your life are you still trying to transform through your own effort rather than cooperating with the resurrection power already at work in you? How can you surrender that to the Holy Spirit today?