Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Overcoming Barriers through prayer
But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (49)
Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire ?
He will call upon me and I will answer him…. and show him my salvation ( Ps91: 15,16)
The time we spend with God can bring in changes and its dynamic in nature. Prayer is not just talking to God it is about taking you to God asking Him to work on you and me, no matter how messy we may look Jesus always had time for those who called on to him even in his final journey he stopped to connect with the disconnected .The cry and plea of Bartimaeus never went unheard even in the market place. The Son of Man stood to counter the man made barriers that prevented the cry REACHING HIM. It was the helpless Cry of Faith that moved Jesus to heal Bartimaeus.
Prayer identifies New counterfeit (towers) of faith
God’s plan is stalled when new counterfeit faith practices tries to dispose gods plan and His people .When Bartimaeus was challenged by forces that prevented him from reaching out his master he called out loudly. It was his prayer for renewal from his present state of blindness for renewal of life. Counterfeit rituals have pushed him out of the mainstream and he had none to rely on other than his cloak. When things get hard you need to take bold steps and its in prayer he poured out his pain and called out have mercy on me.
Prayer challenges Ingredients OF MODERN BABEL
Facets of modern Babel is that it always works against the basic principles of spreading the Word of God. When Bartimaeus called out for help it was the ingredients of insensitive society told him to be quiet. Unorganized crowd spoke in one voice and so did disciples became part of their voice making an unholy nexus preventing Bartimaeus from reaching Jesus.
Prayer makes our Omission into Commission
Cloak of pride, egos, and desire have made has so happy that we don’t want to be displaced .Our omissions and state of life like Bartimaeus we enjoyed it Do we have a habit of making OUR CLOAK and feel secure with our education, salary, offices we hold, the success of our children. Let this Lent season be a time to understand the importance of prayer in our lives to cast away a sense of pride and false security. Jesus stopped and called him through disciples thus enforcing them with new insight which they lacked. Prayer sets frees our mind and soul from utter dependency on market and ideologies that rip apart sense of our dependency on God. Bartimaeus was healed, his external vision gave the new internal vision and a sense of direction for a new mission to follow Jesus to the cross.
Prayer: God Help us to identify the barrier that hinders plan and purpose of God. We pray to sharpen our spiritual sensitivity and response to Gods plan to be a becoming community. Amen
Rev George Jacob, Youth Chaplain, Dallas