30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 18 35-43 THE FAITH OF BARTIMAEUS 09 Praying according to God’s will
📖 Luke 18:35-43
08Nov2020 - *Praying according to God’s will* - _Luke 18:35-43_ - THE FAITH OF BARTIMAEUS 9 – Bible reading: _II Chronicles 1:7-12_
The Lord had commanded that Bartimaeus be brought to Him. We can imagine the excitement that must have been gushing through Bartimaeus. Out of all the people in that crowd that day, he, Bartimaeus, was the one whom the Lord had called.
Bartimaeus now stood before the Lord and the Lord asked him a strange question. _Luke 18:41 saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight." Mark 10:51 So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."_
Why should the Lord ask Bartimaeus an obvious question? What else would a blind man want?
Let us keep in mind that the healing had already taken place of the real blindness of Bartimaeus. He was a free man. No more encumbrances and shackles to weigh him down. The man who was considered by society as a nuisance, as a despicable person, looked down upon, was now the hero.
Everyone’s eyes and ears were on the Lord and on Bartimaeus.
This was the pinnacle moment of his life. He was standing before the God of heaven and earth and the Master was wanting to serve him.
Let us consider the question that the Lord asked Bartimaeus and see what it is that our Lord wants us to learn.
The Lord knowing that Bartimaeus was already healed was wanting him to express what he now wanted from the Lord. The Lord wants us to cry out to Him and place all our concerns and burdens at His feet.
_I Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;_
These are the kind of verses in the Bible we like to hear. God wants us to cry out to Him. Yes, we do begin at the point of our need, as we place our concerns before Him but keep in mind what we discussed yesterday.
Our life and our desires in life must in alignment with the purposes of God. We referred to _Ephesians 1:9-10 and Colossians 1:19-20_ Please go through these two passages again and again, which gives for us the overarching purpose of God.
God is in the task of reconciling all things to Himself and to His kingdom, which is the habitat of God and in which we experience the Shalom of God. This is the reason why the gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of His kingdom.
_(I am sending, separately, the meaning of the Shalom of God)_
Therefore, as we pray and place our concerns before God, we must pray according to the purposes of God or according to the will of God. How can we pray according to the will of God?
_Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (27) Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God._
The Spirit of God enables us to pray according to the will of God. Here is a powerful example from the life of King Solomon.
_II Chronicles 1:7-12 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask! What shall I give you?" (8) And Solomon said to God: "You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place._
_(9) Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. (10) Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?"_
_(11) Then God said to Solomon: "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honour or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— (12) wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honour, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like."_
Solomon’s prayer was according to the will of God for he was not asking for wisdom and knowledge for himself but he wanted to judge the people of God, in God’s ways. That was a prayer that was, undeniably, according to the purpose of God, who desires people to live within the habitat of God or the Shalom of God.
Are you able to see what it means to pray according to the will of God?
*Thought to ponder*
```This is what it is to be in the family of God, for we are familiar with our Father’s will.```