Praying for Eyes to See

“Open the Eyes of Our Hearts” – Knowing What We Already Have in Christ... Ephesians 1:15-23

Dear Friends, Paul had heard wonderful reports about the church in Ephesus — their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love for all the saints. These were not small things. Because of this good news, he did not stop giving thanks for them. Instead, he prayed continually that God would give them something even more precious: a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, with the eyes of their hearts enlightened.

He prayed that they would truly know three glorious realities:

“…what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe…” (Ephesians 1:18-19 ESV)

These are not things we must earn or strive for. They are realities that already belong to every believer in Christ. Yet how often we live as though we do not know them! We forget the hope of our calling, we live spiritually poor when we are heirs of unimaginable riches, and we feel weak when the very power that raised Christ from the dead is at work toward us.

Paul then lifts our eyes to the source of that power. It is the same mighty working of God that:

• Raised Christ from the dead,

• Seated Him at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places,

• Placed Him far 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.

All things have been put under His feet, and He has been given as head over all things to the church, which is His body — “the fullness of him who fills all in all” (v. 23 ESV).

This is breathtaking. The risen, ascended Lord Jesus is not struggling for control. He reigns supreme. Every spiritual force, every earthly power, every future reality is beneath His feet. And wonder of wonders, He has united us to Himself as His body. The church is not an afterthought — it is the fullness of the One who fills everything.

For us as Christians today this prayer is desperately needed. We can become discouraged by our circumstances, our weaknesses, or the seeming smallness of our lives and churches. Yet Paul does not pray that we would receive more power, more hope, or more riches. He prays that the eyes of our hearts would be opened so that we would know what is already ours in Christ.

When the eyes of our hearts are enlightened, we stop living as defeated or impoverished people. We begin to walk in the hope of our calling, in the confidence of our glorious inheritance, and in the strength of resurrection power. We remember that the same God who raised Jesus is at work in us and for us.

Point to Ponder: The Christian life is not mainly about getting more from God, but about knowing more fully what we already have in Christ. When the eyes of our hearts are opened to see His hope, His riches, and His power, everything changes.

Verse to Remember: “…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, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe…” (Ephesians 1:18-19 ESV)

Question to Consider: In your daily life right now, which of these three truths do you most need the eyes of your heart opened to see more clearly — the hope of your calling, the riches of your inheritance in the saints, or the immeasurable greatness of God’s power toward you? How would truly knowing that truth change the way you face this week?

Article written by Shaun Fereday, Leader @SFGH Church