Be persistent

What do you think and how do you feel when our Father does not answer our prayers? despondent? frustrated? even angry? I can think of many times that I have prayed, only to see my requests completely unanswered and as a result given up. Reading the story of blind Bartimaeus in Marks Gospel, I realized the parallel this story has to prayer. The story begins with Jesus leaving the city of Jericho accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd, and continues, "a blind man, Bartimaeus, was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:47). It is clear by his reaction that Bartimaeus had heard of Jesus and the miracles he performed, so began to call out to him. Likewise we recognize Jesus as our God and loving saviour so we call out to him in prayer. But see the reaction Bartimaeus received for his efforts "Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet" (Mark 10:48). Don't we feel like this sometimes when we pray? We think God's not answering, so we conclude we should be quiet and stop praying about it; almost rebuking ourselves for asking. However I believe God's desire for our response to these feelings is illustrated in the reaction of Bartimaeus, "but he shouted all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  and see the result "Jesus stopped and said, "Call him"", (Mark 10:49) ... ""What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you".(Mark 10:51-52). So the faith of Bartimaeus was demonstrated by his persistence to get Jesus attention despite the opposition he faced from the rebuking crowd/ disciples. When we pray we should be persistent, because persistence demonstrates faith, and our heavenly father rewards such faith.    

Do as He says

What kind of faith do you think our Father delights in the most? Is it the faith we experience when we feel his loving presence, when he clearly answers our prayers and we are assured of his will and guidance in our lives? While this might be a strong and confident faith to our human minds, I believe our Father delights more in a different kind of faith, and I see this illustrated in the following exchange between our Lord and Peter in Luke 5:4-6. I was listening to the Gospel of Luke on MP3 last night, and this brief passage jumped out at me as a wonderful illustration of the kind of trust God wants us to have in him. The exchange begins with a request from our Lord, "He said to Simon, 'Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch"' (Luke 5:4), this instruction illustrates the promises and commands we have from our Father in his word and in our everyday experiences. How does Peter respond?. "Simon answered and said, 'Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing"' (Luke 5:5). Is this not the feeling we so often express towards God? When we doubt his promises, don't feel his presence, question his love and experience unanswered prayers? But see what Peter says next, "but I will do as You say and let down the nets". Here lies the act of faith that I believe our Father delights in the most; when we obey him despite our doubts, when we don't feel like it, when we don't feel his love or presence, when we just take him at his word even if our flesh is screaming against it. And what was the reward of Peters act of faith? "When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break" (Luke 5:6). His faith was rewarded richly as ours will be if we trust our Father above everything.