Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. — 2 Kings 6:17

The servant of the prophet Elisha was deeply worried. The king of Aram was upset with Elisha because he was leaking information to the king of Israel about the whereabouts of his troops as the Holy Spirit gave him insight. One of Aram’s generals even said, “Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!” (2 Kings 6:12)

So when the king of Aram found out in what city Elisha was staying he sent an army of men including horses and chariots to capture him, and when Elisha’s servant woke up one morning to see the army of Aram amassing around their city he was terrified. But Elisha told him, “Don’t be afraid! For there are more on our side than on theirs!” And that’s when Elisha prayed and God opened the servant’s eyes to see the Lord’s army all around them.

How often does this kind of thing happen to us? More often than we will ever realize, I’m sure. Not that we see these forces around us, but they are there nonetheless.

One of my favorite artists of the Renaissance period is Albrecht Durer. He was famous especially for his woodcuts, many depicting peaceful pastoral scenes with angels and ghouls and other horrid creatures engaged in bitter fighting above all the tranquility below. (See above.) I think that, more often than not, is a true picture of our reality every day. If we could see into the heavenlies, we would see that we are wrestling not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of this dark world in high places. These are the battles the Lord and His armies fight for us. And that’s why we can say, “there are more on our side than on theirs!”

But do not be naive. We are involved in a fight to the finish that, sure enough, the Lord will finish, but we must be vigilant. We are the reason for the battle. They are fighting over us. The enemy is The Destroyer and he wants to destroy as many of us as he can, while he can (he knows his days after numbered). We would be doomed were it not for the Lord on our side. We may not get to see what Elisha and his servant saw, but we can know by faith that the Lord’s armies are there all around us with horses and chariots of fire. 

Who knows what you might see with your eyes wide open!

Postscript

Sometimes I wonder if we take this seriously enough. Do we treat it like fiction? Do we really believe these beings are out there and what they do affects our lives? Not to scare you but to underline the importance of being alert to pray. Prayer is our main protection in spiritual warfare. It’s the one thing we can do, besides having our armor on (Ephesians 6). Recently I walked around the outside of our house and prayed for protection because I felt it was necessary. Pray. Prayer is a weapon. And remember what Elisha’s servant learned about the armies of the Lord. Ask the Lord to open your eyes and show you what He’s doing behind the scenes. He always has your back.

Extra Credit: The Rest of the Story

As it turned out, Elisha didn’t even need all those horses and chariots of fire. He just prayed to the Lord to blind their whole army, which He did. Then he went out and told them they came to the wrong city and if they followed him he would lead them to the right place. So they followed him (they didn’t have much choice, being blind!) and he led them right into the city of Samaria, part of Israel’s territory where the king of Israel was. And once they were in the city and the gates were closed, Elisha asked God to give them their sight back, which He did. When the king of Israel saw they had them trapped, he asked Elisha if he should kill them all.“‘Of course not!’” Elisha replied. “‘Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master.’” So they prepared them a feast and sent them home. And the final statement in the 2 Kings passage says it all: “After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel” (2 Kings 6:23). I should think so!

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To the Catch Community,

We live in uncertain times. The prophet’s job is to remind God’s people: God is right on time. For the next 30 days, the Catch is running “Eyes Wide Open” — a daily call to watch, listen and act. Our “Eyes Wide Open” booklet in support of each day’s Catch article, including a short Scripture, a brief reflection and a practical step, is available here for download. Will you join us? CLICK HERE to download your booklet. Let’s be the Church that’s awake — not afraid, but ready.

Here is today’s entry. Don’t miss this opportunity to interact with the study.

Devotional:
There’s more happening than you can see. Elisha knew that God’s resources often lie just beyond human sight. Prophets see what others miss—not because they’re smarter, but because they’re surrendered. What if the battle you’re facing is already surrounded by victory? What if God has help on the hill you haven’t noticed yet? Don’t just pray for outcomes. Pray for perspective.

Prayer Prompt:
Open my eyes, Lord, to see what You see.

Action Step:
Pray for eyes that see God’s resources and act when you see a need. 

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