Eyes Open

Do you pray with your eyes open?

Kristin and I have been prayer walking a lot lately, marching up and down the streets in inner city Phnom Penh. It is quite a necessity to keep one’s eyes open in this praying endeavor, or you will get hit by a moto, fall in the gutter or step in who-knows-what.

I have been asking God lately to open the eyes of my heart, to see people the way that he sees them, to pray for the things he wants me to pray for.

Last week I said to Kristin, “Could we stop for a moment? I feel like this building is significant”. It wasn’t an uncommon sight here in the city, a building mostly demolished, crumbling. Why this one, right here? I don’t know if there is actually anything about this place, this moment in particular. But God showed me in that moment that he longs to rebuild this area, this nation, this people. To bring healing and restoration, beauty out of the ashes and out of the broken. So those were the words of prayer I whispered as we continued on. “Beauty out of the ashes, Lord, for your glory.” How will He do this, in this place of darkness? His hope is coming, of this I am sure. His church, his people are sharing the stories of His goodness and there is much more work to be done.

So pray with your eyes and ears and hearts open to hear the message from our King and kind Father, to know the ways He wants you to pray and to grow in faith for what He is going to do.