“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi,” Bartimaeus said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

Mark 10:51-52, New Living Translation

The story of Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus reveals something profound about unwavering faith. It is a faith that never gives up—even when that little voice tells you to quit. Bartimaeus turned up the volume of his faith when people were shushing him and becoming annoyed with his incessant shouting. Yet, the more they tried to drown out his cries, the louder Bartimaeus yelled.

Unwavering faith comes from a genuine knowledge of who God is and what He can do.

When Bartimaeus shouted "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me", he recognised our Lord as the long-awaited Messiah, the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies. His shouting was more than just trying to get Jesus' attention. It was actually his confession of faith. When we know whom we put our faith and trust in, our friendship with God and prayers to Him move up a few notches. It is when we risk being vulnerable by daring to tell God our deepest needs and believing He hears our prayers like He heard Jesus' prayers.

I don't know about you but sometimes when I pray, I find myself contending with other voices that say, "You have prayed long enough, give up!" or "God isn't hearing you" or "Don't expect God to answer this sort of prayer". But, I have learned to press on—because the Apostle Paul tells us:

2 Don’t be weary in prayer; keep at it; watch for God’s answers, and remember to be thankful when they come.

Colossians 4:2, The Living Bible

Prayer releases faith and faith pleases God.

This means the more we pray, the more restful we become and the more restful we are, the more fruitful we become. In other words, prayer positions us to a posture to receive and open our hearts to the wonder of God's grace.