Scripture: Ephesians 1:17β20
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
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 β¦
Sometimes our circumstances are all we can see. That is such a hard place to be.
We see the problem, the pain, the unanswered prayer, or the uncertain future. But Paul reminds us that there is more happening than what our natural eyes can see. That is why he prayed for God to open the eyes of our hearts.
Paul wanted us to truly understand four simple truths:
1 God wants us to know Him.
2 God has given us hope.
3 God considers us His treasured people.
4 Godβs power is working in and for those who believe.
We may already belong to Jesus, yet still forget what that means. We can feel hopeless even though God has given us hope. We can feel worthless even though God treasures us. We can feel powerless even though God is working within us.
Paulβs prayer teaches us to ask God for spiritual understanding.
We can pray, βLord, I see what is happening around me, but please help me see what You want me to know within my heart.β
God may not immediately explain everything or change our situation. But He can help us recognize that we are not alone, forgotten, helpless, or without hope.
Simply put: When we cannot see what God is doing, we can ask Him to help us remember who He is. This prayer can move us to a much easier place and bring comfort to our discouraged 
hearts.
Prayer
Lord, open the eyes of my heart. Help me know You better and trust You more. When I feel discouraged, remind me that I have hope. When I feel unimportant, remind me that I am precious to You. When I feel weak, remind me that Your power is still working. Help me see my life through the eyes of faith. In Jesusβ name, amen.
