“I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24 NLT)
What is it you most want? A happy life? A job? A new job? A new house or car? Children? Grandchildren? Retirement? To be married? To NOT be married? Better health? Less responsibility? More responsibility? More structure? Less structure? The list is long, probably endless, but here’s the real question: What do you want MOST?
If we’re honest, most of us don’t even know what we want most, but in this season of my life I really long for energy. I can lie down or even just sit and feel pretty good, but to move around is a chore these days. As the cooler weather sets in I’m hopeful to be able to walk outside some, to work in the yard and, as I’ve mentioned, to assemble my new shelving units for the garage, but my heart’s longing is to be like Jesus.
And it’s not simply to be good, even to be spiritual, but to be thoughtful, kind, loving, responsive on more than a passive level. Jesus is very interactive, involved, caring, anticipatory. He not only understands our needs, He feels our weariness of soul and body; He empathizes with our weaknesses in every dimension of our lives.
Every day I’m able to write it thrills my soul. This gives me an avenue of expression to help us gain insight into what gives our lives meaning. Apart from Jesus we’re nothing. If the devil told me he’d give me perfect physical health, strength, and ability if I’d deny Jesus and walk away from Him, I wouldn’t flinch. Health is meaningless, life is meaningless without Jesus. He’s ALL I want most of the time.
But here’s the truth: we can’t have Jesus without Jesus. Sounds crazy, I know, but think about it. Timothy Keller said it well when he wrote: “We aren’t even capable of truly wanting Jesus without His help.” We can never find a relationship with Jesus except the Spirit of God draws us, but in order for that to happen we have to be open to that process, but where does it begin?
Think of someone who never gives God a thought. Their life is full – of themselves, their work, their family, their recreation, their schedule, their business and busyness. They go through any average day without giving God or Jesus a thought. And here’s the truth: they may NEVER give Him a thought unless and until we pray for them.
It occurred to me recently that God loves me as if I were His only child, the same as He loves you! With all the billions of people scurrying around planet earth, how is that possible? Because our God is omnipresent – ever-present, present everywhere simultaneously. I’ve known that intellectually for many years, but it recently occurred to me that He’s really with us!
That means when I pray now, I don’t just pray for a person, I pray for their family, their co-workers, every person in their spheres of influence and every person in their spheres of influence! You say, “that’s silly!” Maybe it is, but here’s the truth, behind the saving grace of each of us was someone praying. The more people we can bring to the throne of God the more who will be saved. How do I know that? Because they can’t know Him without the help of God’s Spirit and the Spirit will not go where He’s not invited.
We MUST invite Him to speak to our lost loved ones, their friends, families, co-workers, classmates, and on and on until the whole earth is bathed in believing prayer. Will they all respond? Maybe not, but this much I know for sure – they CAN’T without God’s help.
They may not want Jesus, so we must want Him for them.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 