Opening Prayer: Search me, O God, and know me; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Scripture: Psalm 139:23-24
Journal: How do you try to stay aware of your blind spots? How do you give the God the space and time in your life to help you to see? What is he showing you?
Reflection: I once was blind, but now I see is not a “one and done” proposition; it is a continual process. In fact, most of our spiritual growth involves being able to see in new ways, and that takes time. Blind spots remain. I might be able to see on one level, but still be completely blind in other areas of my life and heart.
Being able to recognize
these areas is a significant part of the equation. I mean, how can I ever confess my sin, if I
haven’t yet recognized it as sin in the first place? Oftentimes, we have grown so comfortable and
familiar with our own patterns of sin and dysfunction that they seem perfectly
normal to us. In fact, there are times
when we can be so misguided that we actually begin to call them virtue. Oh sure, we can easily see the sin and
dysfunction in the lives of others, but we have grown blind to it in ourselves.
That’s where silence and
solitude and prayer come in. They allow
God the space and time—the access, if you will—to work within us in such a way
that our eyes are opened to our part of the problem. No wonder we tend to avoid them.
That’s also where the words
of this ancient prayer are so helpful: “Search me, O God, and know me; test me
and know my anxious thoughts. See if
there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm
139:23-24) It is a scary prayer to pray for sure, because if we are, indeed,
sincere in praying it, God will be faithful to give us exactly what we have
asked for. He will show us those areas
of our lives and hearts that are not congruent with all he desires us to be,
and then he will bring those areas into conformity with his heart and his character
and his will.
O Lord, help me to see, to really
see. Help me to see the blind spots in
my life and heart. Help me to see the
ways and the places where I have grown so comfortable and familiar with my own
sinful patterns that they seem normal to me.
Help me to see how and where I have even begun to call that sin
virtue. Forgive me, O Lord, for how
easily I can be led astray. Forgive me
for how easy it is for me to see those things in others and yet fail to see
them in myself. Help me to see, O Lord, help
me to really see, and then give me the courage to follow you in the way
everlasting. Amen.
Prayer
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