Have you ever misplaced something you use every day, like your car keys or your cell phone, and absolutely cannot find them anywhere, only to have a spouse or a friend find them in about two seconds? They may have been right in front of you the whole time, but in your anxiety to find them you were blind to them.
Paul is writing words of hope and encouragement to the Ephesians. His prayer for them is that they may receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that, with the enlightened eyes of their hearts, they may see the hope to which they have been called. The prayer is to open the eyes of their hearts so that they can see the hope and the joy that is right in front of them.
Paul gives thanks every day for the work of the Ephesians. But even those saints who are giving freely of their time and talents for the faith sometimes need encouragement and help. They need the eyes of their hearts opened to see the grace, hope and joy right before them.
Dear Lord, sometimes our own stress and anxiety can blind us to the abundance of your blessings right in front of us. Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord, so we can see you. Amen. — VB