Episode 4 Lord Open His Eyes
Fear has a way of making our problems look bigger than our God. In 2 Kings 6, Elisha and his servant find themselves surrounded by the Syrian army. The servant sees horses, chariots, and soldiers—and assumes they are finished. But Elisha sees something his servant cannot yet see.
Elisha responds with a powerful prayer: “Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.”
God opens the servant’s eyes, and suddenly he sees the mountain filled with horses and chariots of fire.
In Part 4 of When Prayer Changes the Story, we discover that prayer doesn’t always change our circumstances immediately. Sometimes prayer changes our perspective. What looks like defeat may actually be the place where God is preparing to reveal His power.
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Amazon Music Key Takeaways
- Fear often magnifies our problems and makes them appear much larger than our God.
- In 2 Kings 6, Elisha and his servant faced the overwhelming force of the Syrian army, causing the servant to assume they were finished.
- Instead of asking God to remove the enemy, Elisha prayed for God to open his servant's eyes to the unseen spiritual reality.
- When God opened the servant's eyes, he saw the mountain filled with horses and chariots of fire protecting them.
- Prayer doesn't always change our physical circumstances immediately, but it frequently changes our perspective.
- What currently looks like a hopeless defeat in your life may actually be the exact place where God is preparing to reveal His power.
The Syrian king was frustrated because Elisha repeatedly warned the king of Israel about his plans. So the king sent an army to capture Elisha.
When Elisha’s servant woke up, he saw the city surrounded by horses and chariots.
His response was understandable:
“Alas, my master! how shall we do?”
But Elisha wasn’t afraid.
“Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”
Then Elisha prayed—not that God would destroy the army, but that God would open his servant’s eyes.
And when God opened his eyes, the servant saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire.
The army hadn’t suddenly appeared.
God had already been there.
That gives us several powerful truths about prayer:
Fear focuses on what is visible.
The servant saw the Syrian army. Fear often does the same thing to us. It puts a magnifying glass on the problem while making God seem distant.
Faith remembers that what we see isn’t all there is.
Elisha knew that God’s resources were greater than the enemy’s resources.
Prayer can change our perspective.
Elisha didn’t initially ask God to change the circumstances. He asked God to change his servant’s ability to see them.
God’s presence doesn’t depend upon our ability to perceive it.
The horses and chariots of fire were there before the servant could see them.
What surrounds you isn’t greater than the God who surrounds you.
Main Application
There may be seasons when you feel surrounded.
Surrounded by problems.
Surrounded by uncertainty.
Surrounded by financial pressure.
Surrounded by opposition.
Surrounded by circumstances you don’t know how to fix.
And your first question may be:
“Lord, how are we going to get out of this?”
But perhaps there is another prayer God wants you to pray:
“Lord, open my eyes.”
Open my eyes to Your presence.
Open my eyes to Your provision.
Open my eyes to Your protection.
Open my eyes to what You are doing that I cannot yet see.
The circumstances may still be there when you finish praying.
But you may not see them the same way anymore.
Key Verse — KJV
“Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”
— 2 Kings 6:16 (KJV)
Supporting Thought
You don’t have to see God’s army to trust God’s protection.
Application Questions
- What situation in your life currently makes you feel surrounded?
- Are you focusing more on what you can see than on what you know about God?
- What would change if you genuinely believed that God was already working in the situation?
- What would you ask God to “open your eyes” to see today?
- Can you trust God even before He changes your circumstances?
Short Prayer
Lord, open our eyes. When fear causes us to focus on the problems surrounding us, help us remember that You are greater than anything we face. Help us see Your presence, Your power, Your provision, and Your protection even when we cannot understand what You are doing. Give us the faith to say with Elisha, “Fear not.” Help us trust You when we cannot see the whole story. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Bible passage is discussed in Episode 4 of ScriptureLinks?
This episode focuses on 2 Kings 6, specifically the story of Elisha and his servant surrounded by the Syrian army.
What does Elisha pray for when his servant is afraid?
Elisha prays, 'Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see,' asking God to reveal the spiritual realm and heavenly protection surrounding them.
How does prayer change our circumstances according to this episode?
While prayer doesn't always change our immediate physical circumstances, it radically changes our perspective so we can see God's power at work.
What did Elisha and his servant see when the servant's eyes were opened?
The servant saw the mountain filled with horses and chariots of fire, demonstrating God's invisible protection against the Syrian army.
