He is right here with me . . .

An elderly Christian friend once told me that she didn’t pray in the normal sense of having a time of prayer because she considered every word she said, even every thought, was a prayer to God.

At first I thought that she was a bit daft, but today’s devotional reading has me rethinking her idea. The author points out that many people wish they could see God, or at least have a deeper sense of His presence so that “every act of our soul is done before Him and every word spoken in prayer is as really spoken to Him as if our eyes could see Him and our hands could touch Him.”

This brought to mind how Jesus seemed to have a particular focus on giving sight to the blind. This goes back to an OT story of Elisha who faced enemies. He was not fearful but his man servant was terrified.

Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17)

I’ve read similar missionary testimonies where God opened the eyes of His people when they were surrounded by enemies and in grave danger so they could see that they were surrounded by angels. Others tell of their enemies later testifying to seeing armies of soldiers protecting God’s people. God wants His children to know by sight that He is always near.

Perhaps that is one reason the NT has many records of how Jesus opened the eyes of the blind. Yes, they wanted to see physically, yet this suggests to me a vivid illustration of how He also cures spiritual blindness and how He wants His people to know that we are never alone.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, (Luke 4:18)

In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. (Luke 7:21)

Jesus controls both spiritual and physical sight. The disciples exemplify the first as Jesus “opened their eyes and they recognized him” then He “vanished from their sight.” (Luke 24:31)

At Paul’s conversion, he was without sight for three days, then a man laid his hands on him so that he might regain his sight. He said, “ ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized.” (Acts 9:9-18)

Of course the devotional points out that we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) yet all this illustrates that sight is not just physical. Faith is the spiritual ability to ‘see God’ — to realize His presence without seeing it. God was gracious to Elisha’s servant, to Paul, to the disciples, and the same to many of His children. He says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” He is with me always. Faith ‘sees’ the reality of His presence. My eyes see the evidence of His work in creation and in His children.

Not only that, He hears every word I say and knows my thoughts. With that understanding, I can see how my friend could consider her every word and every thought was communication with God. She listened and heard His words and His thoughts also.

PRAY: Jesus, I know Your presence and know how I can “pray without ceasing” yet this is not an excuse or a reason to drop formal or usual times of prayer. However, it is a reason to guard my heart and my words, a reason to be aware of what is going on in my life. You know it anyway and I’m so glad that no matter where I go or what I do, You are right beside me, listening and telling me what I need to know as I share my ideas and burdens with You.