They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” Luke 18:37
If Jesus was walking by, what would you do? Would you crouch down, hoping that He wouldn’t notice you? He would stop anyway. Jesus would call you over and say to you, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Maybe the first thing you need to do is ask Him to forgive you. Tell Him what needs to be forgiven. Name the sin. Get specific: “Lord Jesus, please forgive me for this. Wash away its guilt. Take away the shame. Then give me the power to face this temptation and to overcome.”
When you ask, remember to whom you’re talking. This is the Son of God who created the universe. He holds Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, and Mercury in position. Why do you find it so hard to believe that He can handle your little problem?
Maybe you’ve grown spiritually cold. Prayer has died. Tell the Lord what you need: “Please give me an intense hunger to seek you. Take away my cold, detached, cynical heart and give me a love for people like the love you have for me.”
Notice what comes from the prayer of Bartimaeus: “Immediately he recovered his sight and followed [Jesus], glorifying God” (Luke 18:43). Bartimaeus used what he had been given (his sight) to follow Christ. By the way, it’s worth checking whether you’re using what you’ve already received to follow Christ.
Consider how the testimony of Bartimaeus lifts the whole community: “He… followed [Jesus], glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God” (Luke 18:43).
What might God be preparing to do through your prayers and your testimony today?
