“Illumine me, Spirit divine.”

​​ This Sunday, we are beginning a new series focused on seeking God’s will in our prayer lives every day. This series pairs well with our closing hymn for this Sunday, “Open My Eyes, That I May See.”[we wrote previously about this song here] In this series, we will be exploring the following topics:

– Open our minds to understand the scriptures (Luke 24:45)
– Open our eyes to behold wondrous things from His law (Psalm 119:18)
– Open our ears to understand His will (Isaiah 50:4)
– Open our mouths to boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel (Ephesians 6:18-19)
– Open our hearts to worship You (Acts 16:14)
– Open our hands to serve (Proverbs 31:10)

In the key texts for this series, the word “open” is used in different ways. It can mean extending a hand to help someone or literally opening our mouths to speak. But in Psalm 119:18, “Open our eyes to behold wondrous things from Your law,” the word “open” means to have something removed or uncovered. The essence of this verse, and our closing hymn, is that we don’t see things the way God does. We need our eyes opened to see things as He does.

That’s why Romans 12:2 reminds us: 

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

In order to understand what is good acceptable and perfect we need to have the way we look at the world changed. Before we can act, we must first see clearly. We need to have the gunk of this world removed from the lens through which we see everything, so we can encounter and engage with life in a way that honors and reflects God’s nature to the world around us.

There’s a difference between doing something because you know you’re supposed to and doing it because you “see” clearly. If I feed the hungry, clothe the needy, or visit the sick—those are noble endeavors—but if I do them simply because I know I’m supposed to, they lack the fullness of God. However, if I do them because I see these situations as God sees them, with the same compassion our Father in heaven has for them, then I’m not just meeting a need. I’m being used as a conduit through which God reveals Himself to the world.

Many groups meet needs, but only one group has the power to change the world—and that is followers of Christ. To impact the world for Him, we need the faulty ways we view the world to be removed from our perspective.

The closing line of each verse in the hymn is “Illumine me, Spirit divine.” Another word for Illumine is enlighten, which means to give greater knowledge and understanding. As we sing this Sunday and walk through the “Open” series, may our prayer be that God would give us greater knowledge and understanding of Him, His ways, and how He would have us respond—to glorify Him and further His kingdom.

Adam