Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – 2 Samuel 10-14
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Matthew 20:32
Jesus (taking the two blind men aside): What is it that you want, brothers?
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
In the Christian world, in fact in every religion, we talk a lot about the power of prayer. We hear lots of sermons on how important it is to commune with God. Jesus gave us an example prayer when His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. They recognized prayer was an important element of strength, even for the Son of God. He spent long hours with His Father making sure He stayed on the right path, renewing His strength, gaining wisdom, protecting Himself from His enemies.
Prayer is vital for the Christian. It’s an important discipline we must learn if we expect to remain a Christian. I don’t think we can maintain our relationship with God if we don’t talk to Him regularly. And that means a lot more than just at mealtime and at church on Sunday mornings. We need to really get in touch with God often.
But Jesus words today sparked in me an important lesson about prayer that we must learn early and remind ourselves often in our Christian walk. It’s easy for us start getting ritualistic in our prayer. We hear ministers or priests pray from the pulpit with community prayers that aim to touch an entire congregation and we think we should mimic those because, after all, they are our spiritual leaders, right?
So we go into our prayer time and ask God to bless our home or bless Aunt Suzie or bless Uncle Harry or bless our kids. Well what do we mean by that? We heard the pastor ask for God’s blessing and certainly it’s a good thing to ask for, but what is it and how do you know God has done something when we ask for Him to bless us? I think we’ve gotten into that habit because we’re afraid God won’t answer our prayers so we just ask something so general we can’t see an answer if it doesn’t go our way and then we won’t be disappointed. Maybe that’s why we started using such general rubbish in our prayers.
What do you think Jesus would have done if these two blind men had said, “Lord, we want your to bless us,” when Jesus asked this question? Do you think they would have received their sight? Maybe, but they might have gone away with a pat on the back and a word of encouragement. Blessed by Jesus. They might have found a better spot to beg after Jesus passed by and gained more income from their begging as people took pity on them. Blessed by Jesus.
I have to admit, I’m often guilty of just asking for blessings, not thinking about what it is I really want God to do for me or the person I’m praying for. I just ask God to bless. But when I do that, how do I know God has answered my prayer? Would the blind beggars know if Jesus gave them the increased income if they found a more generous crowd at a better spot? Would they know it was God who touched them if they just felt a little freer and happier after Jesus passed by?
God is so much bigger than that. He wants us to know that He is God. He wants us to realize that He is in the prayer answering business. He doesn’t always give us what we want, but He always answers our prayers. Sometimes with yes, sometimes with no, and sometimes with wait, not yet. But He always listen to our prayers and does something about them. But how does even He know what to do when we are so wishy-washy in our petitions? How can we give Him the credit when our requests are so nebulous that we don’t even know what we have asked?
I still like the old hymn, “Make Me a Blessing”, but what does it really mean? You have to get into the words. Do you remember them? The writer gets into the mission God gives of spreading the word and winning men to the kingdom, helping those in need. It’s all about working at the tasks God gives, helping others, and in so doing, being a blessing.
So what is it God wants us to do and what do we learn from Jesus’ words today?
I think He’s telling us to stop being wishy-washy about our conversations with Him. Think about what you need from God. Dig deep and stop playing around with the surface conversations and the generalized petitions that don’t mean anything to you or to God. Do you have a loved one that is lost? Do you pray specifically about that person by name every day? Do you ask God to put the right person in his path with the right message to introduce him to Jesus? Do you ask God to make her world fall apart until she is so broken by the realization of her sinful condition before a holy God that He is her only hope?
How do you pray? Do you get specific with God so you know He is the One who answered when you called on Him? Or do you just go around asking for blessings and grace and hope and let the world go on spinning around you? God wants to get involved in your life. And He wants you to know about it. Jesus asked, “So brothers, what is it you want?”
Do you have an answer for Him? Think about it. He wants to give it to you.
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