TOUCHING GOD lll
MEMORISE: Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Matthew 15:28
READ: Mark 10:46 -52
46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
MESSAGE
You can touch God with your prayers. In our Bible reading for today. Bartimaeus cried until Jesus stood still, Jesus was touched by Bartimaeus persistently calling Him.
There are gentlemanly prayers - which people pray softly, sophisticatedly, with big grammar and careful diction.
There are also prayers that can touch God - usually persistent in nature. In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus gave an example of a prayer that would definitely touch God. In fact, He said the prayer would touch even a wicked fellow, not to mention God.
Some people pray for a while and stop when they haven't gotten a miracle. Why are you stopping? Do you have another option apart from God? I have had the privilege of going to see some Presidents and when you get there you cannot be in a hurry. You get there before the time of appointment that was given to you, yet you may have to wait for some time before you get to see the President. On some occasions, it is the President who wanted to see me, yet l had to wait. How can you then go before the President of Presidents and say because He hasn't attended to your request yet, you want to leave? If you leave, who will be affected? God remains God whether you pray or not, but you are nothing without Him. When you tarry in the place of prayer, He is touched and then gives you whatever you want.
In Matthew 15:22-28 we read the story of a woman who kept crying to Jesus to heal her daughter. She cried so much that Jesus' disciples were irritated and asked Him to,send her away. This did not stop her from praying. At last, Jesus was touched and she got her miracle. How desperate are you to get your miracle? If you are really desperate, it will show in the way you pray. It will show in how long you pray. Many people are still struggling with their problems because they stopped praying too early. Let that not be your story.
KEY POINT
If you want to touch God with your prayers, then you have to pray persistently.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 20- Acts 1
HYMN 22: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER
1 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
2 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
3 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
4 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight.
This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise
To seize the everlasting prize,
And shout, while passing through the air,
“Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of pray
