I would like to share with you all a thought that God gave me today regarding our spiritual vision. It is a question we all need to ask ourselves from time to time. Because our honest answer to this determines pretty much everything in our spiritual lives.
Below are some of the characteristics of a person whose spiritual eyes are open or who has a clear spiritual vision:
- He/She is clearly able to see own flaws and shortcomings and accepts and corrects them without giving needless justifications. Eg. King David rightfully accepted and repented of his sin in front of God and the prophet Nathan, without trying to justify himself, unlike King Saul. Although David committed a bigger sin than Saul, God didn’t forgive Saul due to his wrong attempt to justify himself. Also, a person who knows his own flaws is well-equipped against the devil’s strategies, as he cannot be trapped easily.
- Ability to see and discern people, situations, and circumstances as God sees them and also, how they will turn out in the future. Eg. Joseph comforted his brothers who feared that he would hold a grudge against them after their father’s death. In Genesis 50:19-20, he reassures them that even though their intention was to harm him, God intended it for good so that he could be used to save many people’s lives later on. Likewise, those whose spiritual eyes are open are able to see people with all their strengths and weaknesses and can pray for everyone without judging them.
- Ability to see obstacles pertaining to spiritual growth and knows how to get those obstacles removed. Eg. Jesus, who knew that his disciples would become discouraged after his death, therefore kept reassuring and preparing them beforehand. Also, told them to tarry in Jerusalem till they receive the Holy Spirit which would guide them in their ministry ahead.
- Ability to remain unwaveringly focused on God’s promises in spite of the obstacles, as they know that God is bigger than any obstacle. Eg. Joshua and Caleb unfailingly trusted that God would give them the promised land, in spite of the strong warriors who inhabited the land. In Numbers 1:46, we see that there were around six hundred thousand Israelites who left Egypt and received the promise of entering Canaan, however, they lost faith due to the numerous obstacles they encountered in the desert. When a team from amongst them was sent to spy on the land, all the spies returned with negative reports that the natives are very tall and strong and we look like grasshoppers in front of them. However, only Joshua and Caleb remained fearless and faithful, hence only they were finally able to enter the promised land.
- Ability to pray for those whose vision is blurred due to fear, and as a result, that person’s eyes also get opened. Eg. In 2 Kings 6:17-20, we see Elisha praying for his servant Gehazi who had gotten extremely scared seeing the huge army coming to kill them. Afterward, Gehazi’s eyes are opened and he sees an even bigger army of chariots and horses of fire protecting them all around.
- Ability to praise God in all situations without turning bitter or ungrateful, even in the face of the toughest adversity. Eg. Stephen saw heaven open and kept praising God, even while he was being stoned by a massive crowd.
Let us pray for our spiritual eyes to be open!