Just as that radio blurb compared hearing to listening, last week, it made another comparison, too. There is a difference between seeing and vision. Just like hearing and listening, seeing is a surface thing but vision goes deeper.
I can see a mountain or a tree, but I don’t always pay attention to them. Maybe they are in the background of where I’m focused. However, what sets vision apart is clarity and focus. Acts 2:17 talks about old men dreaming dreams and young men seeing visions. We often have dreams and don’t remember anything about them except that we had them. However, if you talk to people who have had a God-given vision, they will tell you how “real” it was, how clear it was, and exactly what God was showing them.
Vision is also the ability to look ahead with purpose. If we can see (imagine) what we want to be, do, or become, we can walk toward it. God believes our “vision” (seeing what He wants for us) is extremely important. In fact, Proverbs 29:18 says that without vision, people perish!
So, how can we pray over our “vision” so God will make it clear to us? Here are some ideas…
- We can pray over everything we see, that God would help us see our world with His eyes. Needs and opportunities abound, but we must be alert to see them.
- We can pray over His promises. His promises over us are the visions He has for us. When we give up too soon, we often don’t see them come to pass. However, when we continue to think about them and remind Him of them, we pray His promises into reality.
- Pray to see opportunities to bless others. Sometimes, a text, phone call, hug, smile, or Facebook message is exactly what someone needs and exactly what God is prompting us to do.
- Pray for how we see things. It’s often not our circumstances that trip us up, but how we see (and respond to) them. Choosing positive thoughts about negative circumstances, behaviors, and people will go a long way toward helping us live more godly lives!
Lord, thank you for giving us vision! Thank you for being a personal God who sees us and wants us to see what You see. Help our eyes be truly open to being your eyes and seeing what you see for our lives and our loved ones. In Jesus’ name, Amen!