What Can Jesus do For You Today?

Greetings,

Bartimaeus was a blind and lowly beggar sitting by the roadside when his ears perked up and he heard Jesus walking by.  Seizing the moment, fully aware of Christ's reputation as a Miracle worker,  having heard that our Lord had fed the thousands and healed the sick, he shouted, “Jesus, have mercy on me!”

Well, having mercy is one of our Lord's specialties; hearing a cry for help moves His heart.  So Jesus stopped and paid attention. “What do you want Me to do for you” (Mark 10:51)?

Bartimaeus didn’t hesitate. “Lord, I want to see.”

The answer came quickly. “Immediately Bartimaeus received his sight and followed Jesus along the road” (Mark 10:52).

This short passage teaches us that it's okay to shout out for mercy.  Jesus always hears and will stop and pay attention to us just like He did for Bartimaeus.  It's also okay to tell Jesus what we want Him to do.  He literally invites us to share our deepest longings with Him.  Bartimaeus certainly didn't hold back, and he received exactly what he wanted.  Jesus will always answer with what is best for us! 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I take You at Your Word; this is what I want You to do for me today: ___________________.  By faith, I receive the answer You have for me because You know best. In Your name I pray, Amen!

He's Only a Prayer Away~

TGIF greetings J

 

Hebrews 11:6 “It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. Why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that He exists and that He cares enough to respond to those who seek Him.”

 

As I have thought about Bartimaeus for the last several days, I have been re-energized in my determination to pursue the Lord.  If a helpless, hopeless, blind man can go from begging to calling on Jesus, then I can make the effort too.  Bartimaeus heard Jesus was walking by and shouted, then he shouted even louder when others tried to shush him up, he also jumped up at the chance when Jesus invited him over, and finally, he did not mince words when asked what he wanted.  

 

What was the end result of all this?  He received an immediate, glorious answer and followed Jesus down the road.

 

It makes perfect sense to me to want to hang out with the One Who helps me so much.  And let’s not lose sight of an important truth: When we have an encounter with Christ, our lives dramatically improve. 

 

This blind beggar is actually a faith hero who is the perfect example of what the verse above means.  He did not doubt that Jesus could help him, or he wouldn’t have shouted so much and so loud, and when invited over he literally jumped at the chance.  Any hesitation on his part would have indicated doubt.  How could he have known so much about the Lord?  Jesus’ reputation preceded Him, and you and I have the wonderful Bible at our fingertips whenever we want to read about it and strengthen our faith.

 

Maybe some of us have been feeling a little like Bartimaeus did sitting on the side of that road—trapped by our circumstances without a clue as to when Jesus will show up.  The good news is He’s only a prayer away.

 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Bartimaeus’ faith is inspiring.  What a beautiful example of what trusting in Jesus looks like.  Today we approach You believing that You are real and that You care enough to respond.  Help us believe.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Let's Jump~

Good afternoon~

Mark 10:51 "Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus."

All of Batimaeus' actions show he was eager to go to the Lord. He didn't casually stand up, or stretch his arms, or take a moment to fold his coat. He tossed the garment and jumped! Other versions say he leaped up, sprang up, and got on his feet at once! How could you not get excited about an invitation to pour out your troubles with the greatest Man Who ever lived?

And yet, I will be the first to admit that I haven't always been excited about going to Christ. Shame on me!!! We have been given the awesome privilege of direct access to the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth - the One Whom has all the power for everything we need - the One Whom according to Ephesians 3:20 "...is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." He wants a vibrant relationship with little ole' us. He desires to lead us and bless us, and I, well, there have been days when I didn't even pray.

What? Yes, you read that right: There have been days when I didn't even pray.

Trying to raise my kids, however, really helped me prioritize my prayer life, and prayerless days are honestly a thing of the past. I love Him too much, and I need Him too much. Bartimaeus reminds us all that we should be excited and in a hurry to meet up with Jesus. He has stopped, is waiting for us, and ready to do something awesome! Let's jump!

Prayer: Dear Lord, We come to You today with our hearts open to receive Your love, goodness, guidance, and protection. Forgive us for those times when we were slow to come or didn't come at all. We must have temporarily forgotten Who You are: The Best of the Best! In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Jesus is Calling You Over~

A terrific Tuesday to all; here's a tongue twister to warm up our brains. Say it three times really fast--if you can!

Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks.

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Mark 10: 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him!” They called the blind man and told him, “Cheer up! Get up! He’s calling you.”

At first, the crowd with Jesus had tried to shut Bartimaeus up when he called out to Christ. But as soon as Christ stopped and commanded that they call him, they became quite the little eager beavers. To their credit, they were obedient and fully embraced a role we should all strive for, which is to help others get excited about Christ.

Other versions of this verse say, "Take courage," "Take heart," "Be of good comfort," "Have confidence," and "Be of good cheer!"

Why? Because Jesus has stopped for you and is calling you over!

Amen amen amen!

Every single time we call on Christ, He stops, He listens, and invites us over. This is great news that we should be sharing with others. Every single person alive on this earth right now has something going on; it's called life. Imagine if we took the time to say to someone, " Take courage, take heart, be comforted, Jesus is ready to answer your call. Let me help you go to Him."

The best place to start is within our own walls. I have ventured out to encourage others because of all the practice I have had at home. There have been some situations where I found myself desperate on the sidelines of life - not knowing what to do - so I cried out to Him. When it became obvious in my life that Jesus answers prayers, I realized I could not keep this awesome revelation to myself. This is how this DEVO got started. I have lost track of all the beautiful things Christ has done for me and others through prayer, and I am so blessed to get to see the answers others are experiencing in their own lives. And while it is true that Bartimaeus was the one who received a mighty miracle that day, I know those who were there to witness it were super thrilled. Their faith tanks were filled that day. And that is exactly what happens to us when we help others - we become strengthened to fight our own battles when we see that Jesus is a Prayer-answerer!

Who do you know right now - maybe even in your home - who could use a little encouragement to seek Christ for a miracle? Be their cheerleader today and pray this prayer with them.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We are confident today, of good cheer, and comforted because You love us and are here listening to us. We ask You to work this __________________________ out with Your incomparable power. Thank You, and in Your name we pray. AMEN~

Let's Approach!

TGIF Greetings :)

Mark 10:49 "Jesus stopped..."

Remember all the ruckus? Blind Bartimaeus heard Jesus was passing by. He shouted out for mercy. The ones with Jesus rebuked him, but Bartimaeus shouted all the more?

What was Christ's reaction? He stopped.

He put everything else aside and stopped. He was on His way to Jerusalem where soon all the events leading up to the crucifixion would unfold, but He interrupted His busy schedule and brought all His love, mercy, and attention on the one who was shouting for Him.

Amen and glory!

Let us never ever think that Jesus is uninterested, too busy, too tired, or unmerciful and/or aloof. If we call, He will stop - each and every time.

In fact, when we read the New Testament we learn that Jesus never ever turned anyone away. Anyone who approached Him was welcome, and everyone is still welcome. The key is that we need to make approach.

What are we waiting for? Let's approach!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You have stopped right now and are listening to me. All Your focus is on me, and I am grateful. You asked Bartimaeus what he wanted You to do for him; this is what I want You to do for me: __________________. In Your precious name I pray, Amen~

Shout all the More!

I hope you're all having a terrific Tuesday :)

Mark 10:47-48 "When Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

"...but he shouted all the more..."

Kudos to Bartimaeus for not letting others detract him. He knew what he needed to do, and he wasn't going to let anyone silence his voice. The louder others get--speaking all negatively and/or rudely--the more we need to shout.

And you can be sure there will be times when we stand alone against popular opinion, but that's when we have to shout all the more.

Bartimaeus did not let anyone stop him from calling on Jesus and neither should we.

 

Truth is not everyone will respect or agree with our decision to keep on trusting and praying and believing for our answers. Job's wife is a perfect example.

 

Job 2:9 "His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to be godly when God has done all this to you? Curse Him and die.”

 

Job's name has become synonymous with suffering because of all the tragedy in his life. He lost it all - money, health, family - and it bothered his wife to no end that he was still trusting the Lord. Still reaching out--clinging to hope. She finally exploded and said, "Curse God and die."

 

Lord, have mercy! Job hung in there, and the Bible says in Job 42:20 that, "The Lord blessed Job at the end of his life more than at the beginning."

 

What if Bartimaeus had allowed the others to silence him? His tombstone would have read: Here lies the blind beggar Bartimaeus.

 

I prefer this one: Here lies the formally blind Bartimaeus whose sight was restored because he shouted all the more!

 

AMEN!

 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Today we shout shout shout for healing and restoration in our lives. We will not allow others to detract us from reaching out to You. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Get out of the Way~

Happy Monday :)

Back to the story of the Bartimaeus, the man who was formally blind.

Mark 10:47-48 "When Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Here was Bartimaeus, blind and begging by the side of the road, clearly in need of help, and Jesus walks by. Bartimaeus has heard a thing or two about Jesus being a miracle worker because he starts shouting for help. And what is the reaction of the folks who are closest to Jesus? The ones who are walking with Him? They rebuke Bartimaeus.

Dictionary.com--REBUKE: to express sharp, stern disapproval of; reprove; reprimand.

The irony in all of this makes me want to cry.

How can I, someone who walks with Jesus every day, get in the way of someone else who wants to get closer to Him? How could I ever actually scold someone because they called out to Christ? Are you kidding me? I spend half my waking moments praying that my children will call out to Him more and more everyday, and yet these folks told Bartimaeus to be quiet.

First lesson of the week: Let's not get in anyone's way when they are trying to get closer to Jesus. Let's actually try to help. Let's offer to pray with someone. Listen to someone's heartache. Help them get up and bring them closer to Christ.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Make us sensitive to those around us who are seeking You. There are so many blessings for those who help others. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

What Do You Want Me To Do?

TGIF Greetings~

Someone wants to ask you a question today, and His name is JESUS!

Mark 10:51 ““What do you want Me to do for you?”
Jesus was directing His question at a blind man named Bartimaeus.
Bartimaeus responded, “Lord, I want to see!”

Excuse me while I take a moment to relish this scene in my mind…

When we read a few verses before this one, we learn that blind Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside begging.  Jesus, the disciples, and a large crowd were leaving the city, and Bartimaeus somehow heard it was none other than Christ Himself Who was walking by.  He started to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

That’s when Jesus asked the famous question, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

Bartimaeus knew the answer and didn’t hesitate to ask for a healing miracle. “Lord, I want to see.”
Mark 10:52 “…Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”

Connect the dots time.
·       Bartimaeus is blind.
·       He has heard of Jesus before because when Christ was on that road he called out for his miracle. 
·       Jesus stopped what He was doing and paid attention to Bartimaeus.
·       Jesus asked Bartimaeus a compelling question.
·       Bartimaeus was specific, non-hesitant, blunt and to the point.
·       Bartimaeus received his sight and became a follower of Christ.

We will break this all down a la Macarena style next week, but look at the order.

There’s a need, Jesus is the miracle-worker, we must call out to Him and tell Him what we want.  We will always get the best answer for our situation.

Amen Amen Amen!!! I pray that Bartimaeus has inspired us all today.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I take You up on Your Word, and this is what I want You do to for Me today: ___________________.  By faith I receive the answer.  In Your name I pray, Amen!