Praying For Eyes To See

Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. (Acts 3:7, NIV)

Have you ever sought after something so diligently only to realize it was right under your nose the whole time? One time my wife Gail could not find her cell phone and I let her know she was holding it in her hand! Did you know that some things God wants us to see daily are often times overlooked and missed? Recently we invited a married couple to church we’ve known for several years. We were concerned for the spiritual growth of the wife and we prayed many times for her strength in the Lord. At the end of the service the unexpected and incredible happened. The husband responded to a call to invite Jesus into his heart. We were so focused on helping the wife we missed the one who needed it the most! The man broke down with tears in his eyes, raised his hand high and invited Jesus into his heart right there in the sanctuary. My wife and I were astonished. We were focused so intently on sharing with the woman that we walked right by the man when it came to sharing our faith. Too often times we look for the right situation before we step out and share faith. How often do we seek out God’s will but walk right by a situation where he needs us to intervene?

The book of Acts paints a clear picture of a similar situation.  After a short study in Acts 3, one can draw the conclusion God works in mysterious ways, and most importantly he wants to use us to tell the story! Peter and John were on their way to pray one day in the temple and a paralyzed man was sitting at the gate begging for money (Acts 3:1-8). The Bible tells us this man was laid there daily. He would’ve been passed by not one time but many times by believers and apparently no one said anything until Peter and John gave him the invitation of a lifetime. 

Have you ever taken the time to think that you may have passed by a similar man/woman? Maybe you weren’t walking into a temple to pray but the idea is still the same. If we’re too busy and inwardly focused we miss those who need us the most!