DAY TWENTY SEVEN : THE SOLEMN ASSEMBLY MEDITATION THEME: GOD IS WAITING FOR YOU TO ASK.... A blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. Luke 18:35-43 Simply put, God favours those who ask.’ Bruce Wilkinson Some people are reluctant to ask God for things. The see probably see the prayer of supplication as a waste of time... Or perhaps too hard...or perhaps unscientific? However Jesus said; ‘You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.’ ( John 14:14.) There some things that God will do if we ask that he will not do if we do not ask him. 19 ‘I will show you my faith by what I do.’ James had become frustrated with what was going on in some churches. So in radical mood he wrote these words (James 2:18). He was correcting attitudes that said that we don’t need to do anything if we are Christians; we don’t need to help those in need; we don’t need to change our behavior. The blind man in Luke 18:35-43 asked. He was tenacious and single-minded. Piercingly he called out to Jesus - he screamed all the louder when the crowd tried to silence him. When Jesus quietened the crowd and asked him what he wanted, the reply was stunningly simple: ‘Lord I want to see.’ In that one statement lay a life time of dashed hopes and cruel disappointments; of rejection and grinding poverty. He rose above it all in faith that Jesus could heal him. Jesus said, ‘Receive your sight, your faith has healed you.’ We are not told how this man knew about Jesus. The crowd referred to Jesus as ‘Jesus of Nazareth’, but the blind man called him ‘Son of David’. He recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Though blind, he was saw something. In His minds eye he saw a savior who could give him the one most important thing he needed in life! And nothing was going to stop him from asking! Not people, not distance, not the obstacles that confronted him; he was determined to get close to Jesus and ask! He was single-minded in his request and believed that Jesus was able to do it. He asked - Jesus gave - God was glorified. In the letter of James a little phrase echoes the same theme: ‘You do not have because you do not ask God’ (James 4:2.) We are encouraged to ask God for things in prayer. Perhaps we need to overcome our reluctance because, as clear as day, this is a principle in scripture. We must not fail to ask (for whatever reason) when God is waiting for us to do just that. Jesus said to the blind man, and to us, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ 24Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:24 (NIV) PRAYER FOCUS: - Pray that you – and others in your family and our church -will see in Jesus what the blind man saw, that God has power to transform life. lIf Jesus asked you, “What do you want me to do for you?” What would you say? Try telling him now. - Like the blind man, pray with boldness for things that will make life different for you. Check your motives (James 4:3) and pray with faith and single-mindedness Sent from my iPad
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 09:30:35 +0000
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