“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!’ ” (Mark 10:47-48)
Have you ever yelled out to God in prayer? Bartimaeus, the blind beggar sitting on the ground as Jesus walked past in a crowd, pretty much had to yell to be heard. It wasn’t proper or polite. People told him to pipe down. Have some respect for the rabbi. Let it go.
They saw his refusal to shut up as obnoxious. Jesus saw his refusal to shut up as evidence of Bartimaeus’s faith in the power of God. Notice: He was still respectful. He still called Jesus the Son of David, a name for the Messiah. But Bartimaeus would not stop calling out to Him. He wanted to see, and he knew God could do that.
I’m not saying we should all be yelling at God, but when you really believe He’s the only one who can help you don’t give up asking after the first try. If you’re convinced He’s the answer, you ask again. If the need is urgent, you get louder. You don’t demand. But you don’t stop asking until you know the answer.
Think: What are some of things you’ve prayed most urgently for? If you could see your prayer life in iTunes, what would be on the Most Played list? Can repetition in prayer be a sign of faith?
Pray: Ask God to help you to trust Him enough to be persistent and urgent with your neediest prayers without becoming disrespectful.
Do: Repeat the prayer above.