Cry Out to Jesus and Be Ready for Him to Answer!
Cry out to Jesus.
Have you ever just cried out to Jesus? I’m talking about where you cried out and expected Him to answer you. Not those times were you were like LAAAWWWD! Or when you were like, “Lord, have mercy, these people are getting on my nerves.” Y’all know we have cried out to Jesus a lot with our mouth but not with our heart. We have complained to Jesus with phrases like: Lord, have mercy, I am about to lose it up in here. Or Lord have mercy, I am so tired of these kids. Or Lord have mercy, they just UGH!
See what I learned this morning while reading Luke 18 is that there was a blind man who cried out to Jesus. In Luke 18:38-39, it says: So he called out, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept CRYING OUT ALL THE MORE, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Have you ever been hollering out and somebody told you to be quiet? Just like that blind man, when someone tries to hush me up, it makes me holler even more!! LOL!
So the man cries out ALL THE MORE, and look at what happens next though! In Luke 18:40-41 it says: Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him. When he came closer, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
When you’re in your prayer closet having your own conversation with God (which I hope you’re doing), how do you respond when Jesus asks, “what do you want for me to do for you?” Are you prepared to answer? Or have we been crying out with complaints so long that we have forgotten what we really need from Jesus? Are you able to articulate what you want Jesus to do for you?
I believe so many of us really can’t answer the question. I am almost 98% sure most of us would start off with “uhmmm.” But in Luke 18:41, the blind man was ready with his answer. It says the blind man answered: “Lord, I want to see.” Right in the next verse, Jesus told him: “Receive your sight. You faith has saved you.” Verse 43 says INSTANTLY the blind man could see and he began to follow Jesus and glorify God. And check this out, ALL THE PEOPLE, when THEY SAW IT, gave praise to God.
So let’s run that pattern back again and make it personal for us because if Jesus did it for the blind man, then He can do it for us too!
The blind man cried out to the Lord. (So we are to cry out to the Lord).
The people told him to be quiet but he KEPT CRYING OUT ALL THE MORE. (Don’t let nobody shut us up when we are crying out to the Lord. Matter of fact, get louder).
Jesus asked the blind man what he wanted Him to do for him? (We are to be ready when God answers us with that same question).
The blind man said, I want to see. (We need to know and ask for what we want specifically God to do).
The blind man asked for what he wanted in faith. We know this because Jesus mentioned that because of his faith, he was able to RECEIVE his sight. (Oh my goodness, the Holy Spirit just showed me the word RECEIVED as I was typing this up. Many of us pray for things and God says receive it, and our faith doesn’t allow us to. Salvation has to be RECEIVED. The gift of the Holy Spirit has to be RECEIVED. I have often confessed to having a receiving problem in the past, but thanks be to God that He exposed that problem so that I could see how it was preventing me from getting (or receiving ALL that God has for me).
The blind man got his sight IMMEDIATELY! (When we have faith and believe with no doubt that God can and God will, we SEE IT IMMEDIATELY)!
The blind man began following Jesus and glorifying God. (We should FOLLOW JESUS and GLORIFY GOD, just like the blind man).
All the people who saw what Jesus did, ALSO gave God praise. (We should expect witnesses to be around when Jesus answers our requests. Why? Because God wants THEM to see HIM and for us ALL to give God praise).
As I was writing all this, the Holy Spirit said keep crying out to me ALL THE MORE! When I ask you what do you want me to do, answer Me with your specific requests, knowing without a doubt that I WILL answer what you have requested.
The Lord hears us when we CRY OUT. Isaiah 58:1 says, “Cry out loudly, don’t hold back. Isaiah 58:9 says, At the time when you call, the Lord will answer. When you cry out, He will say, “Here I am.”
I read Psalm 32 today and the message I got from Holy Spirit is that we are to ensure that we cry out to Him with our sins too. Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We can’t be keeping silent when we sin. We must acknowledge our sin and not conceal it. We must confess our sin to the Lord for forgiveness.
Psalm 32:6 says: Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to you immediately.
Dr. Tony Evans study notes says this about Psalm 32:10-11. When we have sinned and the call for repentance comes, don’t hold back. Confess your sins specifically, agree with what God says about them, appeal to his grace and mercy for forgiveness, and anticipate the return of the joy of your salvation.
Whether we are crying out to Jesus for forgiveness or for a blessing, we can anticipate or expect Him to answer us favorably.
SALVATION PRAYER
If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and you’re not a believer, but you have a desire to be, all you have to do is openly confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). When you pray that prayer, you are saved. Get connected with a good, bible-based church in your community, stay connected to other believers, and start having daily conversations through prayer with God every single day. Welcome to your new life with Jesus Christ!!!
ASSIGNMENTS
What did Holy Spirit say to you in your conversation with Him this morning?
What do you want God to do for you?
Is there any unaddressed sin you need to confess and ask God for forgiveness?
Record yourself reading the word of God on video or audio and watch how God will use your own voice to give you revelation and build your faith (keeping this assignment on here for a while).
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