“The eye of the LORD is…”
Are your prayers more about getting God’s attention or confidently claiming His promises?
Recently, I confess I have been in a fit-throwing, attention-grabbing, a bone, a scrap, anything God, type of prayer mode. Unlike the passionate tenacity of the persistent widow in Luke 18, my prayers were motivated by fear.
The realization of fear’s role in my prayers came from a perspective shift.
“The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all humankind. From where he sits enthroned, he watches all the inhabitants of the earth—he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds… Truly, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love.” (Psalm 33:13-15, 19, NRSVUE)
My perspective shifted from trying to get God’s attention to remembering the truth of His character. God sees me. He is fully aware of each piece of my messed up world that felt like it was coming apart rather than falling into place.
I stopped to pause my rants and take time to process how a God who sees my pain, sees the injustice, sees every detail of my situation. I processed – how does a God who sees me make a difference in how I see?
When we focus on a characteristic of God in light of our circumstances, we can experience a paradigm shift that impacts our response.
How do we respond differently when we know God sees us?
We can:
- Receive Comfort. While our situation may remain uncomfortable, there is comfort in knowing that our pain is not hidden from Him. God sees us, hears us, and extends His love to us. Our role is receiving the comfort of knowing God not only sees us but knows and empathizes with us through His Son. Will you receive God’s comfort?
“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There, we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT)
- Reframe Our Fears. Taking a second look at our fears through the eyes of God, provides a new perspective in which to see them. God sees our concerns and worries and knows the root of our deepest fears. Through His grace and mercy, we can heal and approach our fears from His angle rather than our angle. What would reframing your fears through God’s eyes look like for you?
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” (1 John 4:18, NIV).
- Respond in Confidence. When we are comforted by the fact God sees, and allow Him to help us relook at our fears, defusing their control over us, we are positioned to reengage our situation with confidence. Can you imagine your situation from a place of confidence?
In the story of Hagar (listen to the coinciding podcast, GWGH episode 40), she was encouraged by the God who would take notice of her. She was empowered to go back and face the very situation from which she was running.
“Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress”… She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Genesis 16:9, 13, NIV)
We do not need to gain God’s attention; we need to be more attentive to seeing our lives through the eyes of the One Who sees us.
Because I know God, that You see me, in faith I will…
I pray that your eyes will be given the power to see through the eyes of Christ, the One who sees, and knows everything about you. May your God-sight form your day where all fears are put in their proper place, and hope and confidence abound. In Jesus’ name, so be it.
Meditate: God sees me.
Reflect: How will you allow the fact that God sees you, to comfort you? To move forward in confidence? Are there any fears that feel like God is unaware of? List those fears, and with each one, ask God to help you see those fears the way He sees them. How can you remember you follow a God who sees you and allow this truth to speak to you daily?
Deeper: Genesis 16:1-16, 21:17-19; Psalm 33; Hebrews 4:13-16
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(Bible References: NRSVUE – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, NLT – New Living Translation, NIV – New International Version)
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