"[...]Am fost surprins sa observ viteza cu care oamenii au reactionat la aceasta cantare," spune Paul. "Am primit o multime de telefoane si scrisori de la diferite biserici spunand: 'aceasta este tema studiata de biserica noastra pe parcursul acestui an' sau 'aceasta este tema conferintei noastre,' sau 'aceasta este dorinta inimilor noastre.'

Este extraordinar sa auzi ca asa de multi crestini au dorinta de a spune: 'Am fost intr-o religie mult timp, dar nu este destul, vreau sa Il cuosc pe EL. Vreau sa Il cunosc pe Dumnezeu. Vreau sa fiu constient de prezenta Lui in viata mea in fiecare zi.'"

Paul spune ca acest cantec a fost inspirat din Efeseni 1:18
Aposolul Pavel scria o scrisoare efesenilor si spune: Ma rog ca Dumnezeu sa va lumineze ochii inimii. - Acest verset a ramas in inima mea, si intr-o dimineata, in timp ce eram la inchinare in biserica in care slujesc, am inceput sa cant intr-un duh de rugaciune aceste cuvinte "Deschide-mi ochii inimii Doamne, deschide-mi ochii inimii", si restul cantecului a urmat, fara nici un efort din partea mea. E o melodie simpla care reflecta sinceritatea inimii mele in rugaciune.

O invatatura care m-a influentat in timp ce scriam acest cantec este urmatoarea:
Ani de zile am avut cuvantari la tot felul de conferinte despre Inchinarea Biblica si experienta inchinarii vazuta prin prisma Bibliei, si mi-am dat seama ca de multe ori punem accentul pe aspectul exterior, pe ce se vede. Psalmul 95 spune "Veniti sa cantam cu veselie Domnului si sa strigam de bucurie catre Stanca mantuirii noastre. Sa mergem inaintea Lui cu laude, sa facem sa rasune cantece in cinstea Lui!"
si toate aceste lucruri sunt foarte bune, insa am inceput sa imi dau seama ca ele trebuie sa vina din interior dintr-o inima curata, altfel inchinarea noastra este ca un nor fara ploaie.

--leadworship.com

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“[...]Of all the songs that I’ve written, it’s amazed me how people have responded to this one so quickly,” says Paul. “I’ve gotten more e-mails and calls and letters and responses from churches saying, ‘This is the theme of our church this year,’ or ‘This is the theme of our conference,’ or ‘This is the cry of our hearts.’ It’s great hearing people resonate with that same desire to say, ‘I’ve been in religion a long time and that’s not enough. I want to know Him. I want to see God. I want to wake up each day and be more aware of Your presence in my life. I want to see Your kingdom in the midst of this world, so I can be a part of it and I can do my part.’”

Paul says the song was inspired in part by Ephesians 1:18.

“The Apostle Paul was writing a letter to the Ephesians and he says, ‘I pray that the eyes of your heart would be enlightened.’ That verse stirred in my heart. One morning, while playing during a ministry time at my church, I began to sing that phrase over and over again: ‘Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart.’ The whole song pretty much rolled off my tongue while prayerfully playing my guitar and singing out to Him. It really is a simple song that reflected the sincere prayer of my heart.”

He admits the song was also influenced by his teaching experiences.

“For years, I’ve taught at these worship conferences on Biblical worship and Biblical expressions of worship,” he says. “It occurred to me that so often we’re teaching the externals. In Psalm 95 it says, ‘Come let’s sing for joy. Let’s shout out loud. Let’s kneel in worship. Let’s clap our hands.’ That’s all neat, but I began to realize you can teach externals, but unless something is happening from the inside out, it’s just really a form. It’s like a cloud without rain.”

--leadworship.com

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