Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he 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!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

Mark 10:46-49 (NIV)

 

Many people have been conditioned to accept life as it is, with no desire for change in their circumstances. Fear and unimaginable disappointment have gripped their hearts in such a way that they are unable to pray and hope for a breakthrough or a blessing from God. They believe it is their fate or lot in life to suffer and expect nothing.

The healing of Bartimaeus is an important lesson in how someone can overcome all opposing voices that try to drown out his cry for help. The louder the voices, the stronger Bartimaeus' cry became. Jesus heard him, not because he was loud, but because he persisted.

Persistent prayer may not immediately change your circumstances, but it does change your perspective. That is, you start to see things differently than you did before. What appears to be a problem is often an opportunity to learn and grow in your friendship and relationship with God. When we realise, we are powerless to change our circumstances, we become humble enough to admit our need for God.

So often, before God can do something in our lives, He must first change our perception of Him. Bartimaeus had a revelation about who Jesus is, which gave him the confidence and courage to confront those adversarial voices that told him to shut up and be silent.

We can become too familiar and lose sight of our Lord's awesome greatness and majestic holiness. In some ways, Bartimaeus "saw" Jesus before he "sees" him. When we combine worship and prayer in our daily pursuit of God and His righteousness, we see good and great blessings.

What is God saying to me here and what must I do?