LORD OPEN MY EYES
LORD OPEN MY EYES
Text:
1Sa 3:1-10 KJV 1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; 4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
One of the ways God reveals Himself is through His word
Samuel was in the house of Eli the Priest, yet he did not know the Lord. How?
1Sa 3:7 KJV Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
But after his encounter, things changed.
God reveals Himself by His word. If you want to know God or hear His voice you must know His words His words are graphical representations of Himself. Jesus said if you have seen me, you have seen the Father because He is the express image of the Father according to Hebrew.
One may be confused if you are not well taught if it is the same God in the Old Testament and a different one in the New Testament
It’s all based on covenant. Ours is a covenant of grace while theirs is a covenant of law and performance.
You will know His ways, life, His thoughts and above all His voice.
1Sa 3:21 KJV And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
The state described in 1Sa 3:7 was henceforth reversed. Samuel now knew the Lord, and the Word of the Lord was revealed unto him.
All other revelations are subject to the revelation of the word. This is why David made a prayer thus:
Psa 119:18 KJV Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Nothing they teach and preach benefits until it becomes a personal revelation; then you will be able to say God spoke this to me or God showed me this.
Rev 3:18 KJV I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
The Holy Spirit’s function, like the ancient eye-salve’s, first smarts with conviction of sin, then heals. He opens our eyes first to ourselves in our wretchedness, then to the Saviour in His preciousness.
The greatest prayer of Paul to the Ephesian Church is that their eyes of understanding may be opened.
Eph 1:18 KJV The eyes of your understanding 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,
Prayer: Lord opens my eyes. Illuminate me, enlighten me, and let my eyes flood with light. Enlighten my darkness.
2Sa 22:29 KJV For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.
Psa 18:28 KJV For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
My darkness talks about an area of my ignorance. The devil hides in our area of ignorance to take advantage of us and Robb us of our inheritance in Christ.
Every area in which we are struggling are areas of ignorance about the Gospel which is the good news. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
Rom 1:16 KJV For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
HOW DO WE BEGIN TO RECEIVE THIS?
1. We must know that we have capability to hear God’s voice
Joh 10:27 KJV My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Num 11:29 KJV And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!
1Co 14:31 KJV For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
Joe 2:28 KJV And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Act 1:8 KJV But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
2. We must meditate on the word.
Most times it is while you are meditating that the Lord will speak to you through your thoughts.
The mind is the place of perception with its senses.
Jos 1:8 KJV This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Instances:
Act 10:19 KJV While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
The Greek word for thought there is “enthumeomai”
Phonetic: en-thoo-meh’-om-ahee
to bring to mind, revolve in mind, ponder
to think, to deliberate,
to be inspirited, that is, ponder: – think.
Joseph
Mat 1:20 KJV But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Nebuchadnezzar
Dan 2:29 KJV As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
3. As we minister to the Lord in words, spiritual prayers, praises and worship.
Act 13:2 KJV As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
As you meditate then thoughts come into your mind
Eze 38:10 KJV Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
2Co 3:18 KJV But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.