Open My Eyes: Trusting God When Life Feels Out Of Our Control

I cried out to the Lord in despair and disappointment. Open my eyes to see you, Lord, even in this. And in that moment He brought to my mind a story in 2 Kings. In Chapter 6, the King of Aram sends an army to kill a prophet by the name of Elisha. When a servant of the Lord sees the army surrounding them, he responds in fear, questioning what to do.

Isn’t this how we all feel? While our battle might not be as literally as Elisha’s, it’s just as real to us. Everyday we battle the temptations and pressures of this world. We feel like we are surrounded on every side and that defeat is surely upon us.

But here is Elisha’s response. He says, “‘Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ He prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’ The Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:15-17).

Elisha’s servant was no longer afraid when he saw God’s mighty heavenly army. Rather than panic, Elisha prayed. And God answered his prayer by revealing His presence, His provision, and His perspective.

God will answer our prayers in the same way. We no longer need to be afraid or discouraged. Instead, we can be strong and courageous, knowing there is a heavenly army going to battle for us too. So in the midst of the struggle we find ourselves in, we pray just as Elisha did, asking God to open our eyes to see Him in it.

Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Boonyachoat

We don’t have to battle alone. He is ready and waiting to fight with us and for us. Even when we can’t see Him or feel Him, we can have confidence He is with us. In fact, God is omnipresent, which means He is present everywhere and in everything. He is present in our pleasure and in our pain. He is present in our solitude and in our stress. He is present in our burdens and in our blessings. He is Lord of all and will be present in it all.

Not only is He present and willing to fight on our behalf, but as believers, His presence resides in us. His Holy Spirit is at work within us and provides supernaturally what we cannot in our flesh. We can rely on Him to give us the peace, patience, and strength to withstand the battle. To not only withstand, but triumph over all. With God there is victory in whatever trial we face. The victory may not come in the way or in the time we expect or even want, but we can be certain He will be with us because He promises to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Photo Credit: © Unsplash

But as we are well aware, it’s one thing to be present and quite another to be empathetic in our presence. Thankfully, God is both. He is not only cognizant of our needs, but He also cares enough to meet them. God’s power to provide for us is infinite and limitless. He is omnipotent, meaning He is all-powerful. Since God has power over creation, we can trust He has the power to protect His created. His plans are to prosper us, not harm us, to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

This promise of provision coupled with His providence gives me hope when circumstances feel out of my control. It is more than hope, though. We can look back upon our lives with gratitude and see evidence of His faithfulness to us. He may not always supply our wants, but He always supplies our needs. His daily bread is more than enough to satisfy us. And even if He never provided another thing for the rest of our days, we can still praise Him for who He is and what He has already done.

Photo Credit: © Getty/Igor Alexander

There is so much going on behind the scenes we do not know. God is omniscient, meaning He is all-seeing and all-knowing. We can have confidence that God is doing more than we can realize through our sight alone. He is a good God and knows what is best for us because He can see the entire picture. When the circumstances surrounding us don’t feel good, believing God is good and that He is good at being God helps shift my perspective. It gives me hope in the bleakest of situations that He will use them for good for His ultimate purpose and plan (Romans 8:28).

And isn’t this faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. When we believe God will fulfill His promises even though we don’t see those promises materializing yet, we demonstrate true faith. By trying to shift to His perspective, it changes our perspective, our attitude, and our thought process. We can close our eyes to what our earthly eyes see and focus on what God might be teaching us through this. Instead of concentrating on the difficulties that seem insurmountable, may we stop to consider the underlying opportunities that could exist and the beauty that may come from the ashes (Isaiah 61:3). We can choose to believe whatever we are going through is from His hands or has passed through His hands. And rest in the truth that no matter what, He holds the whole world in His loving hands.

Photo Credit: © Unsplash

Whether we understand our current set of circumstances or not, we reach a point where we either lean into Him or away from Him, trust Him or distrust Him, and decide to believe whether He has our best in mind. In my experience, trusting Him leads to peace and distrust leads to panic. Knowing this, will we wait patiently for Him to work out the situation before us? Will we trust Him even when we don’t understand or even agree? I pray in these times we lean more closely into Him, rather than into our own need for understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

In a world of uncertainty, the one thing I am certain of is God's love for each one of us. I believe He will use every experience for His glory and to sanctify us to make us more like Him. Friend, I have full confidence as you lean on Him, you will discover as I have, He is worthy of your trust.

Pray for Him to open your spiritual eyes so you can see all He is doing. Look with the eyes of faith and let God show you His presence, provision, and perspective in the midst of what you are going through. He’s got everything under control even when it feels like it isn’t. Because He will use this for you and for His glory.

Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Wang Xi

Lord, this situation feels beyond my control. I am disappointed and downtrodden. I am scared and I feel ill-equipped to deal with this. Remind me not to panic, but to pray instead. And so, I pray for your spiritual eyes to see this situation through your perspective. Surround me in your loving and comforting presence. Empower and equip me through your Spirit to do what I don’t think I can do. And help me rest in the provision I trust you will provide.

I surrender this situation to you. This battle is not mine, but yours. Although it feels like the enemy surrounds me, I take heart knowing that in all things I am more than a conqueror through you because you love me (Romans 8:37). I believe you are who you say you are and you can do what only you can do. I trust your promises and believe your purpose will prevail. I have hope that this circumstance, even if it doesn’t turn out like I’d choose, is for my best and for your glory. Open my eyes to see you everywhere and in everything. I love you and I praise you even in this. Amen.

Rachael Adams is a writer, speaker, podcaster, and founder of The Love Offering. Her heart’s desire is to encourage women to realize their God-given purpose to live out our faith together by loving God, loving others, and learning to love ourselves. Rachael and her husband live in Kentucky with their two children. Connect with her online at rachaelkadams.com or @rachaeladamsauthor on social media.

This article is part of our Prayer resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.

Serenity Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
Irish Blessings & Prayers
Morning Prayers
Good Night Prayers

Prayer for Healing
Prayer for Protection
Prayer for God’s Help
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Prayer for Strength

Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Dyu-Ha