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What if the only barrier that stands between you and your
breakthrough is the opening of your spiritual eyes?
Change always begins not
by changing the condition that is around us, but by changing what we are able
to see. The world of spirits, where God's power, wisdom, and blessings reign,
is open to us by our spiritual eyes. They cannot be seen by the natural world,
but they are more necessary than the physical ones in order to make us feel the
depth of what God has prepared for us.
If you desire to walk in
a greater dimension of authority and have more exploits in the Spirit, your
eyes of the spirit must be opened. The beauty is that God desires to open them
so you can see, perceive, and savor all that He has for you.
But then there is the
mystery: there are in fact two distinct forms of spiritual vision. Christians
are most familiar with one, but they have no idea about the other—and when they
lose this one, they miss out on the incredible things God has in store for
them. Here's the good news: when you open both, life will never be the same.
Let's take a close look at these two forms, and how seeing they can turn
everything around.
The Eyes of Perception
When we refer to
spiritual eyes, we typically refer to the eyes of perception. Perception is
being cognizant of that which is in the spiritual realm. It simply perceives
the unseen, knowing things which are hidden in the world of the Spirit and are
beyond understanding by natural sight. One of the best descriptions of this is
perhaps in 2 Kings 6:17:
"And Elisha prayed,
and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.
And the Lord opened the
eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses
and chariots of fire round about Elisha."
(2 Kings 6:17, KJV)
When Elisha and his
servant were at that time surrounded by the Syrian army and his servant was
overcome with fear, his fear was understandable enough—after all, they were
vastly outnumbered. But Elisha himself was not afraid. Instead of panicking, he
prayed, asking God to open his servant's eyes. And the servant's eyes were
changed—now he could see the spiritual world around them. God had already
dispatched horses and chariots of fire encircling them to keep them safe from
harm.
What is notable is that
the angels were present all along; they did not just appear once they opened
the servant's eyes. God had stationed them in advance, but the servant could
not perceive them until he had opened his eyes spiritually. The angels were
indeed present, but it was only when he opened his spiritual eyes that he
realized God's watch care.
The eyes of perception
show us the secret realities of the spiritual world. It's due to this reason
that it's necessary for every believer to pray that God would open their eyes
of perception.
Two Main Ways God Opens Perception
There are two primary
ways God opens up our perception and awareness in the spiritual realm:
1. The Prophetic Eye
This dimension is
observed in the case of Elisha's servant. God opened the servant's eyes to see
the spiritual army already camped around them. This type of seeing can be done
by prophetic visions or dreams, where God reveals to a person a vision of the
spiritual realm. It's not making or imagining something out of nothing; it's
God revealing to a person something that already exists. What the person sees
in the spirit is a real, tangible truth.
In the spiritual realm,
knowing is seeing. When God opens your prophetic eye, you gain knowledge of
things that exist in the spiritual realm.
2. The Eye of Understanding
God also opens our eyes
spiritually by means of revelation and understanding. In Ephesians 1:18, Paul
makes this prayer:
"The eyes of your
minds being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and
what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."
(Ephesians 1:18, KJV)
See that Paul asks for
the "eyes of understanding" to be opened. This is not physical eyes
but an inner revelation of spiritual things. The enlightenment Paul mentions
occurs when God gives us understanding of His will, His calling on us, and the
inheritance that is ours as believers.
In the Bible, to know
and to see are synonymous. As you grow in knowledge of God, you see more and
more of His nature, His glory, and His purposes for your life. The more you
know His word, the more you "see" His presence and purposes in your
life.
The Eye of Experience
Even as perception is
the foundation, God does not only want us to see the kingdom of the spiritual;
He wants us to live it. Spiritual eyes not just inform us, but lead us into
vibrant encounters in the Kingdom of God. As an illustration, in John 3:3,
Jesus said:
"Verily, verily, I
say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God."
(John 3:3, KJV)
This verse isn't so much
about seeing or knowing the Kingdom of God—it's about getting in and partaking
of its realities and gains. To "see the Kingdom" isn't just to learn
something about it but to encounter it for ourselves. This is what God desires
His children to encounter: that we would find His Kingdom in practical and
actual ways, not theoretically but in every way we live.
Similarly, in Luke 2:26,
Simeon was given a vision by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had
seen the Messiah:
"And it was
revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he
had seen the Lord's Christ."
(Luke 2:26, KJV)
Here, "seeing"
did not just mean a vision; it meant experiencing the fulfillment of God's
promise. Simeon had a vision that he would be able to see the Messiah, and it
was in the fulfillment of that promise that he endured. God used the language
of "seeing" to speak of experiencing the fulfillment of His Word.
Thus, spiritual eyes are
for seeing as well as feeling the power, love, and favor of God in our lives.
When God opens our eyes, we move beyond awareness to experience His Kingdom.
From Perception to Experience
God desires us to move
from perception to experience. Not only does He desire to open our eyes so that
we may behold spiritual realities, He desires that we experience them in actual
and meaningful ways. When God reveals His will to you—whether the work of the
Holy Spirit, His provision for your existence, or His healing work—He is not
simply trying to communicate something to you. His desire is for you to feel
His power in daily life.
Consider the healing of
Jesus. When God opens the eyes to recognize healing in your life, His ultimate
intent is not just that you realize it at a cognitive level but that you begin
to experience healing in your body. When God opens your eyes to His provision,
He is not merely giving information; He's calling you to experience His abundance
in every area of your life.
This is the ultimate
goal of spiritual understanding—to move from knowing to doing. God wants to
demonstrate His power in your life, not just for you to read about it in the
Bible but to live it out.
The Apostle Paul and the Opening of Eyes
One of the dominant
themes of Paul's ministry was the opening of eyes. In Acts 26:17–18, God tells
Paul and says:
"Sending thee among
the people, and among the Gentiles unto whom now I do send thee,
To open the eyes of them
which are blind, and to turn them from darkness unto light, and from the power
of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance
among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."
(Acts 26:17–18, KJV)
Paul's mission was to
open up the Gentiles' eyes and lead them from darkness into light, Christ's
light. From the moment you see God's revelation and possess His truth, your
life has been transformed. You are not in darkness anymore but are ushered into
the marvelous light of God. The eyes of your understanding are enlightened, and
you begin to indulge in all the things God promised you—salvation, healing,
deliverance, and eternal life.
Paul's ministry was a
prophetic image of God desiring to open the eyes of all believers. We are
called to live in the same mandate: opening blind people's eyes and leading
them to the fullness of God's light.
Final Prayer
I pray that today the
Lord will open your spiritual eyes. May He open your eyes to see the fullness
of His power, glory, and love. May your eyes be opened to the existence of His
Kingdom and to the experiences He has planned for you.
I pray that when you
have His Word in front of you, your eyes shall be opened not just to see but to
perceive His greatness and His miracles in your life.
May God help you to see
Jesus, His Word, and His promises clearer than ever before!
