The Bible has quite a lot to say about our eyes. Fixing our eyes; opening our eyes; blinding our eyes; eyes as the lamp of the body, being the window of the soul; the eyes of the heart.

Where are you looking? Where are your eyes set?
Our eyes do not go naturally upward to the LORD. They go everywhere but upward to the Lord…Spurgeon says. We must use our eyes with resolution, for they will not go upward to the Lord by themselves, but they are inclined to look downward, or inward, or anywhere but to the Lord…we need not speak in prayer; a glance of the eye will do it all; for – Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The falling of a tear. The upward glancing of the eye, When none but God is near.

Some places we look:-

OUTWARD

• World. News; history
• Economy.
• Circumstances. Earthly situation; Heavenly places
  
  

INWARD

• Experience
• Feelings; Subjective.
  
  

DOWNWARD

• Despair, disappointment, depression
• Doom and gloom;
  
  

UPWARD

• I lift up my eyes to You…whose throne is in heaven. It is only when we are desperate that we really see our need…and look up.
  
  2 Corinthians 4:18…So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
  
  Ephesians 1:18…I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
  
  
  

FORWARD

• For mercy…we need it. Have mercy upon me a sinner…
  Hebrews 4:13…Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
  Hebrews 12:2…Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
  
  
• Proud and arrogant. Contempt and ridicule.
  
  
  

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Read the Psalm a few times and discuss personal perspectives

Why do you think we are we so geared towards the negative?

As Christians why should we be positive?

Why do you think the psalmist asks particularly for mercy.