Open My Eyes, That I May See
Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.
Refrain
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!
Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear.
Open my mouth, and let me bear,
Gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share.
Devotion
This hymn was written in 1895 by Clara H. Fiske Scott as part of a collection called the Royal Anthem Book. The book was said to be the first of its kind published by a woman. Some hymnals incorrectly attribute the hymn to Charles H. Scott.
The refrain from the hymn was included in Cris Williamson’s album, "The Changer and the Changed," in 1975. With this release, feminist Cris Williamson helped paved the way for other women artists.
Inspired by Psalm 119:18, the hymn is a prayer for spiritual insight. The hymn writer prayed not only for open eyes, but wrote, "Open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth..." And she prayed that God would help her speak to others about what God had revealed to her. Through this prayer, Clara became a witness to the Gospel.
Because of Clara Scott, and singers like Cris Williamson, the hymn has become a prayer for thousands of seekers.
Prayer
Creator God, today we thank you for women songwriters and singers who have expressed the Gospel through songs of prayer and praise. Open our eyes and ears to receive you and mouths to proclaim your good news. Amen.