“The more faith we have, the more specific our prayers will be. And the more specific our prayers are, the more glory God receives”
- Mark Batterson
TODAYS READING: Mark 10:46-52
PRAYER: "God, as I open myself up to you in these moments to read this passage fresh and anew, I ask that you reveal to me that which you would have me learn today. Help me see. More than that, I pray for transformation as I take what you show me and apply it to my life. Amen."
If you have never read the story of Bartimaeus, you have missed an awesome chunk of scripture. Or maybe you have read it and it didn't jump off the page for you. I often share this story with people and will often use it as an illustration in speaking - it contains one of my favorite questions in scripture. And while the "obvious" question makes me laugh a little every time I read it, the complexity of this simple question could be the source of many chapters of a book! I should write that book.
Blind Bartimaeus
The gospel according to Mark tells us about the healing faith of a blind man, named Bartimaeus. A previous post demonstrated the need to be specific when you pray, based on a parallel passage in Matthew 20:30-34. Matthew spoke of two blind men who cried out for mercy, and Jesus asking them what they wanted before He healed them. This passage in Mark also shows the need to be specific in our prayers, but it focuses in on the healing faith of just one of the two blind men, Bartimaeus.
That he was specifically named as “Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus” (Mark 10:46), indicates that he was probably well known in his day. Not only was he miraculously healed, but after he received his sight Bartimaeus immediately followed Jesus in the way (Mark 10:52). It is possible that Bartimaeus was still testifying about Jesus Christ and His power to heal the blind, when Mark wrote his gospel.
The Insight of Blind Bartimaeus
Physical blindness may have reduced Bartimaeus to begging by the highway, but he could hear, and he listened. As a result, he had better spiritual insight than most who could see.
Bartimaeus had heard about “Jesus of Nazareth.” Based on what he had heard, Bartimaeus believed Jesus was the “Son of David.” He believed Jesus was the Messiah (the Christ) of God, so he addressed Him using His royal name. “Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:47).
Bartimaeus cried out from his darkness to the Savior he could not see. The crowd tried to silence the blind beggar, but he continued to cry out to the “Son of David” for mercy (Mark 10:48). Jesus heard his plea and called for him to “Come to Me” (Mark 10:49).
The Faith of Believing Bartimaeus
Having been called by Jesus, Bartimaeus believed he would be healed. He knew he would beg no more, so he threw his beggar’s cloak away as he excitedly arose and went to Jesus (Mark 10:50).
After he told Jesus specifically what he wanted, Jesus healed his eyesight saying, “Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole” (Mark 10:52).
Bartimaeus already had the spiritual vision to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and trust Him to heal his physical sight. I suspect that when Jesus said his faith had made him “whole,” He was referring to more than just eyesight. I believe it included his soul.
The story doesn’t end there though. Jesus told Bartimaeus to go his way, but instead of going back to his life that day, he chose to follow Jesus in The Way. The former blind beggar became a witness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, testifying of His power to give sight to blind eyes and to save souls.
I use this passage with people who are often discouraged. Sometimes I think we have the tendency to think that if we haven't been able to fix something or succeed - we are just stuck. We have possessed faith, but still failed! Now what? We fail to see that something that may be an obvious need in our lives, even though Jesus can see it, we haven't given it to Him.
If you are stuck, or broken (this is coming from someone who has been those things) have you sat there in your discouragement and called out to Jesus? As you are being ridiculed or feeling insignificant, have you called Him by name - showing your faith and His greatness? And lastly have you specifically asked Him to see? Or named the specific need? I have been so amazed to learn that it was my vision (or perspective) that simply needed healing. While other times there was a major change or healing.
Why does the Jesus demand that prayer be specific?
1.) Relationship. God wants us to be honest with Him, to share the desires of our heart with our Daddy. God knows what we truly desire – why hide our requests from Him behind vague, wimpy language? Who are we fooling?
2.) Understanding of our desires. Specifying our desires before God helps us to realize what it is we truly desire! It forces us to actually think about our desires and confess those desires before Him. It reveals the desires that are righteous and those that are unrighteous. It helps us understand ourselves and evaluate our hearts before Him.
It also helps us to “pray bigger” than we normally would. Instead of settling for the same old vague requests that never bring much direction or closure, God encourages us to look deeply into our hearts and express our innermost desires. What do we really want to see happen in our lives? In our schools? In our home? What do we really want God to do? Are you praying like God can do “exceedingly more than we ask or think,” or like God can do very little? Are you praying a specific, godly desire and expecting to see it?
3.) Knowledge of an answer. How will we ever know a prayer is answered unless we ask for something specific? Knowing a prayer has been answered clearly builds up our faith, builds relationship with God, and encourages us to pray more boldly and specifically in the future. Vague prayers don’t build up much anticipation. Vague prayers don’t cause us to wait expectantly for an answer from God. Specific prayer does. Again, this concept goes back to relationship. When we pray with specificity, there is transparency and clarity between us and God.
As you pray, hear the words of Jesus to Bartimaeus, the blind man by the road: “What do you want?” Tell him specifically, and your prayer life will take on greater depth and purpose.
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