Table of Contents
OPEN HEAVENS FOR 28TH JUNE 2026
TOPIC: SEEING EYES III
MEMORISE:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. — Ephesians 1:18
READ: 2 Kings 6:8-23 (KJV)
Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down.
And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.
Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?
And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.
Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.
And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
MESSAGE:
In today’s Bible reading, Elisha was in Israel, but he could hear what the king of Syria was planning far away in his bedchamber. As a result, all the king’s battle plans against Israel failed. The Syrian king was seriously disturbed by that, so he sent an army to capture the prophet. It didn’t occur to him that the fellow who could hear the things he was planning in his bedroom must have some serious spiritual backing.
When Elisha’s servant saw the army that was sent to arrest his master, he became agitated and ran to Elisha, shaking with fear. He could only see the troop of Syrian soldiers that surrounded his master’s house, but he couldn’t see the horses and chariots of fire of the angelic hosts that surrounded them.
To put his servant’s mind at rest, however, Elisha prayed, “Lord, open his eyes that he may see” (2 Kings 6:17). I am sure that immediately the servant’s eyes were opened and he saw the mighty host surrounding them, his fear disappeared.
Beloved, what you see will always affect how you respond to situations. If all you can see is what is happening in the natural realm, you will feel threatened by challenges, just like Elisha’s servant.
You will continually live in fear until your eyes are open to see that God has prepared a table before you in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5).
You don’t have to be afraid of the devil because He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Don’t tremble in the presence of the one who should be trembling when he sees you.
1 Peter 5:8 says that he is moving around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Lions typically prefer to target weak prey; therefore, if you see yourself as being weak and vulnerable, the devil may be encouraged to attack you. However, if you understand the power of the One who lives inside you, he will stay away from you.
Child of God, do you see yourself as being too strong for any problem to overcome, or do you panic when faced with challenges? I pray that your eyes will be opened from now on, so you can see the power that backs you up as a child of God and cease to be afraid of challenges that come your way.
KEY POINT:
When you have seeing eyes, you will not be afraid of any challenge that comes your way.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalms 134-140
HYMN 58: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING ELSE
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
Chorus:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.When He shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
About RCCG and Open Heavens
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is a global Pentecostal denomination founded in 1952 by Reverend Josiah Akindayomi and now led by Pastor E. A. Adeboye as General Overseer. Headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, RCCG has spread to over 200 countries with millions of worshippers worldwide.
Open Heavens is the daily devotional of RCCG, written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye. First published in 2003, it has become one of the most widely read daily devotionals in the world. Each edition includes a memory verse, Bible reading, message, prayer point, and hymn. The devotional is known for its practical, Bible-based teachings that address everyday Christian living, spiritual warfare, and faith.
The devotional for 28th June 2026 concludes the series on spiritual sight, emphasizing that opened eyes reveal the angelic protection and divine power that surround believers, dispelling fear.
BRIEF COMMENTARY
Based on Open Heavens 28th June 2026 – “Seeing Eyes III”
Elisha’s Servant: Natural Eyes vs. Opened Eyes
In today’s devotional, Pastor Adeboye concludes the series on spiritual sight with the dramatic story of Elisha and the Syrian army. The king of Syria was troubled that his battle plans against Israel kept failing, not realizing that Elisha prophetically heard everything he planned in his bedchamber. So he sent a great army with horses and chariots to capture Elisha in Dothan, surrounding the city by night.
When Elisha’s servant rose early and saw the Syrian army surrounding them, he became agitated and ran to Elisha, shaking with fear. He could only see the Syrian soldiers, but he could not see the horses and chariots of fire of the angelic hosts that surrounded them.
Elisha prayed, “Lord, open his eyes that he may see” (2 Kings 6:17). Immediately, the servant’s eyes were opened, and he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. His fear disappeared.
The situation had not changed. The Syrian army was still there. The city was still surrounded. But the servant’s perception had changed. And with changed perception came changed emotion.
What You See Affects How You Respond
What you see will always affect how you respond to situations. If all you can see is what is happening in the natural realm, you will feel threatened by challenges, just like Elisha’s servant. If you see only the problem, you respond with fear, anxiety, and panic. If you see only the enemy, you feel overwhelmed and defeated before the battle. If you see only your lack, you fall into despair and hopelessness.
But if you see the spiritual reality—the angelic host, the Greater One inside you, the table prepared in the presence of enemies—you respond with peace, confidence, and boldness.
The Table Prepared in the Presence of Enemies
You will continually live in fear until your eyes are open to see that God has prepared a table before you in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5). A table in the ancient Near East symbolized peace, abundance, and fellowship. To eat a meal while your enemies watch means they cannot touch you, you are completely safe, and God’s provision is uninterrupted by their hostility.
Without seeing eyes, you see only the enemies surrounding you and fear they will attack. With seeing eyes, you see the table God has prepared and eat in peace while they watch.
The Devil Targets the Weak
You don’t have to be afraid of the devil because He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). 1 Peter 5:8 says that the devil is moving around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Lions typically prefer to target weak prey—isolated, unaware, fearful, injured, vulnerable. If you see yourself as being weak and vulnerable, the devil may be encouraged to attack you. However, if you understand the power of the One who lives inside you, he will stay away from you.
The devil is not omnipotent. He is a created being, already defeated by the cross. His primary weapon is deception—making you believe you are weaker than you are. When your eyes are opened to see the power that backs you up, his intimidation loses its power.
How to Receive Opened Eyes
First, pray for enlightened understanding (Ephesians 1:18). Do not assume you already see everything. Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers to have the eyes of their understanding enlightened. This is a prayer you must pray for yourself regularly: “Lord, open the eyes of my understanding. Let me see what I have been missing.”
Second, ask God to show you the invisible reality. Like Elisha, pray specifically: “Lord, open my eyes that I may see.” Ask to see the horses and chariots of fire that are already surrounding you.
Third, refuse to make decisions based on natural sight alone. Train yourself to ask: “Lord, what am I not seeing? What is the spiritual reality behind this natural circumstance?”
Fourth, remind yourself daily of the Greater One inside you. Instead of saying “I am so weak,” say “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” Instead of saying “This problem is too big,” say “My God is bigger than any problem.”
Fifth, change your self-perception. Do you see yourself as being too strong for any problem to overcome, or do you panic when faced with challenges? Your self-perception is not just positive thinking—it is spiritual warfare. When you see yourself as God sees you (seated in heavenly places, more than a conqueror, joint heir with Christ), the devil loses his grip of fear.
Conclusion
Pastor Adeboye prays that your eyes will be opened from now on so you can see the power that backs you up as a child of God and cease to be afraid of challenges that come your way. Do not live in fear based on half the picture. The Syrian army is real—but so are the chariots of fire. The problem is real—but so is the Greater One inside you. Ask God to open your eyes. When He does, fear will disappear, peace will reign, and you will see that you have always been surrounded, protected, and backed up by the hosts of heaven.
Key Point from the Devotional:
When you have seeing eyes, you will not be afraid of any challenge that comes your way.
Prayer Point (implied from the message):
Lord, open my eyes to see the power that backs me up and remove all fear from my heart.
Action Steps
The Elisha prayer – every morning this week, pray specifically: “Lord, open my eyes that I may see.” Before you check the news, your problems, or your circumstances, ask God to show you the spiritual reality.
The fear audit – identify one area where you have been living in fear (finances, health, family, future). Ask: What am I seeing with my natural eyes that is causing this fear? What would I see if God opened my eyes?
The Greater One declaration – write 1 John 4:4 on an index card. Place it where you will see it daily. Every time fear rises, declare aloud: “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I am not weak. I am not vulnerable. The Almighty God lives in me.”
