Praying With Urgency & Faith

We continue in our series on prayer and fasting. Last week we considered fasting and saw that when we fast, it brings strength to the soul. And make no mistake: our soul’s need strength today … and every day.

When we enter into a season of fasting and prayer, often our prayers tend to have a bit more urgency with them. They are more focused. Today we’re going to talk about praying with urgency and faith.

Context of Passage

Jesus is in the last year of his ministry and he is making is final journey toward Jerusalem, where he will be betrayed and then crucified. So, on their way to Jerusalem, the text says that ….

Mark 10:46–52 (CSB) 46 They came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd,

Jericho was 18 miles northeast of Jerusalem and five miles west of the Jordan. It was a beautiful city recently refurbished by the Herodians, who made it the site of their magnificent winter palace, “The City of Roses.”(1)

In fact, the name “Jericho” means “To smell, or A place of fragrance.” It was a city that abounded in many fragrant plants like roses, balsam, and cypress. Honey was found there in abundance as well. Travelers passing through Jericho were surrounded by many fragrant smells. It was a city that lived up to its name. As Jesus came into Jericho, he was in the company of a large crowd made up of his disciples as well as numerous pilgrims making their way up to Jerusalem for Passover. It was customary for distinguished rabbis to travel with an entourage and to teach as they walked. So Jesus’ passage was not unusual, except for the great size of the crowd. Passing through Jericho compounded the crowding because the city was full of Levitical priests who were waiting their turn to make the day’s journey to the Temple to serve. Also, virtually everyone had heard of Jesus and undoubtedly wanted to see him. Surely the news had preceded Him! Earlier, when Jesus had entered the city, He encountered one of the richest men in town. A little man named Zacchaeus, who was also a tax collector for Rome, climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by. Jesus stopped and called Zacchaeus down from that tree and saved his soul. Now, all the people are trying to get a glimpse of Jesus as He passes by. And then we’re introduced to:

Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting by the road.

Due to disease and poor sanitary conditions, blindness was very common in Israel in Bible times. It still is today! Here is a man who has never seen a sunrise or a sunset. He has never seen the smile on a baby’s face. He has never seen the beauty of God’s creation. Bartimaeus lived in a very narrow world. He lived in a world of darkness.

Bartimaeus was not able to go out and find a job. There were no social programs and no welfare programs to help him survive. He was forced to sit beside the road and beg for his living. When the Bible says that he was “begging”, it means that he constantly begged and asked those passing by to give him money. Bartimaeus lived a life of wretched poverty. The day began like any other day for blind Bartimaeus. Waking up, he probably shook the straw from his shabby, torn garments, stretched, got to his feet. I can imagine him being led to the side of the highway in the morning to spend his day begging for alms. Or many he used a cane to find his way to the place where he begged. It is a pitiful scene of a man with a tragic condition, living in a cruel and heartless world.

Arriving at the gate he took his regular place with the other beggars, where he drew his greasy cloak tight around him because, though it was spring, it took the sun to dispel the chill. As he sat there, just like so many days before, he listened to the city come to life—first a donkey loaded with melons for market, after that several women chatting as they bore pitchers toward the well, then the clomp of camels’ hooves, and the aroma of fish borne along to market. Soon Jericho was humming, and the blind man was intoning his beggar’s cry. Suddenly Bartimaeus tensed and lifted his head, for his blind sensitive ears heard the hubbub of a great crowd approaching. First came young boys running before the crowd with shrill cries, then more people hurrying past the gate talking excitedly. Bartimaeus, brushed by a robe, reached out and asked what was happening. The passerby, pulling his robe away, called back, “Jesus of Nazareth—the one who heals the lame and lepers and blind—the one some are saying is the Messiah—is passing by!” Everyone had been talking about this man’s exploits and words. Bartimaeus had perhaps even heard a first-person testimony from someone who had heard him and had seen his miracles. Bartimaeus had been doing a lot of thinking, and now he made up his mind. This must be the Messiah, and now he is coming. His heart began to pound, and he was trembling, though the warm sun was standing high. The crowd was passing. People called to one another. Intermittent hosannas rang out. Bartimaeus was jostled. Jesus would soon be gone. He had to do something! So, Mark tells us,

47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

As soon as he realized that Jesus was near he didn’t wait! He started crying out to him immediately. I don't know how much Bartimaeus knew about Jesus...what stories he had heard...but when Jesus came his way he made up his mind that he would not let this opportunity slip away. He immediately began to call on the name of Jesus, and he continued to call on the name of Jesus until Jesus heard him.

If you really believe God can help you, he'll be the one you'll call on first. So here is the first principle of effective prayer we learn from Bartimaeus:

Principles of Effective Prayer

1. Ask immediately.

Here's the problem we have with prayer. Too often, it's not our first option. We try first to fix things ourselves, without getting God involved. We think that we can handle the situation more efficiently than he can.

After all, he might make us wait. He'll expect us to repent. He'll cause us to re-evaluate and re-organize our priorities. It's easier to try to do things on our own. And as a last resort, if nothing else works, then we'll try prayer.

Of course, this kind of asking doesn't demonstrate faith. Asking in faith requires that you ask immediately.  You need to turn to God as a first resort, not as an afterthought.  When we try and figure out or fix our situation on our own, we’re demonstrating we think we really don’t need God … or that God really can’t help us.

When we turn to God after exhausting other options, we’re demonstrating a lack of faith. Only, it's a foolish lack of faith, because God can help you with any problem you face in life. If you want to receive anything from God, the story of Bartimaeus teaches us to call on God immediately, and continue to call on him until he answers. Jesus said…

Matthew 7:7 (CSB) 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.

Those verbs — ask, seek, knock — can be translated from the original Greek as "Keep on asking; keep on seeking; keep on knocking." It's not a onetime request. It's a continual prayer. Bartimaeus asked immediately, and he kept on asking until Jesus answered him. The second thing this story teaches us about how to ask in faith is…

2. Ask Boldly

Here's what I mean. When Bartimaeus began calling out to Jesus, the Bible says…

48 Many warned him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, “Have mercy on me, Son of David!”

The people surrounding Bartimaeus decided it was their job to keep him in his place. After all, he's just a blind beggar. What right does he have to approach Jesus? He needs to keep his mouth shut — and that's what they tried to get him to do. But he didn't care what the crowd said or what the crowd thought. He defied them and called out to Jesus anyway.

No way was Bartimaeus going to be shut up!

“Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Quiet, beggar.” “Son of David, have mercy on me!” “Will somebody shut him up?” “Son of David, have mercy on me!” “If you don’t stop, you will need some mercy!” “Son of David.… ” He was beyond their control. I want you to realize there were some risks involved in this.

It might end his begging career Bartimaeus was a beggar. The people around him were the ones he begged from. If he antagonized them, they might decide not to give him anything ever again. Endless ridicule What if Jesus just walked by without acknowledging Bartimaeus? Wouldn't Bartimaeus have looked foolish? Wouldn't everyone had said, "See! I told you so! You're just a beggar! Why would Jesus pay attention to you?" Bartimaeus decided it was worth the risks. It didn't matter what others said or thought, he wasn't about to let Jesus walk by without at least trying to get his attention.

His attitude was, “Maybe you can stand there and let the King of Kings pass you by, but I can't. I want to experience God's power. This is my chance. I'm not letting it get away.” Bartimaeus risked ridicule when he began calling the name of Jesus. But, he also demonstrated his faith. When you ask something of God, you sometimes have to defy popular opinion.

Others may try to put you in your place, saying, “What gives you the right to think God will bless you?

There are sick people everywhere, what gives you the right to think God will heal you? This world is in turmoil, what gives you the right to think God is concerned with your silly problems?” Yogi Berra was a catcher for the New York Yankees. One afternoon during a game a batter stepped into the box and crossed himself. Yogi said, “Why don't we just play the game and leave God out of it? OK?”

Now, I like Yogi Berra, but this was one time when he was wrong.

Ball players have the right to ask God to help them do well. Sales people have the right to ask God to help them do well. Teachers have the right to ask God to help them do well.

Everyone has the right to ask God to help them in their daily lives. I realize the world is in turmoil and there are many serious global issues to contend with, yet the God we serve is concerned with each and every one of us — even a blind beggar sitting on the side of the road.

If you want to experience God's power, you'll have to defy the critics and ask anyway … even if it puts you at risk of looking foolish.

Bold prayers demonstrate faith.

Notice what happens next.

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up; he’s calling for you.” 50 He threw off his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

What a sight it must have been to see the crowd open a path for Bartimaeus as he comes to Jesus!

Had Bartimaeus not believed that Jesus could help him or wanted to help him, he would never have gotten up to go to Jesus. Is approach to Jesus was the approach of faith. And notice how Jesus responds to him:

51 Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Now, it might seem that the need of Bartimaeus was obvious. Yet Jesus had a deliberate purpose in the question. There was real power in both the asking and in the answer of Jesus. God may ask us the same question, and we should be able to articulate an answer that glorifies Him. Jesus’ question was not to gain information, but to allow Bartimaeus to specify his need and, in the process, to declare his faith that Jesus could meet that need.

Bartimaeus didn't hesitate. He just said,

“Rabboni,” the blind man said to him, “I want to see.”

So principle about prayer is that we should

3. Ask specifically.

Not long before, James and John had asked Jesus to grant them whatsoever they asked.

The difference between Bartimaeus’s answer and the disciples’ request is the difference between faith and ambition.

Faith asks for needs; ambition begs for wants. Bartimaeus needed his sight; James and John wanted the places of honor in the coming kingdom of God. There are two things I want you to notice about this exchange. Bartimaeus knew exactly what he wanted.

Jesus said, "What do you want me to do?" and Bartimaeus said, "I want to see." His request was specific. He didn't say, "Uh...I want to be helped. I want to get better. I want you to bless me." He said exactly what he wanted: "Lord, I want to see."

God can't answer a prayer that you aren't willing to make.

He can not give what you do not ask for. If you want something from God, ask for it. Be specific. Joke: At a goal setting seminar, one attendee told the leader his goal was to have more money. The leader reached into his pocket, gave the man one dollar and said, “There you are. You asked for more money, and now you have it. You've reached your goal.”

If you want to be on the receiving end of God's blessings, you must have enough faith to ask specifically for whatever it is you want. At this point some people say, “What if I'm asking for something that's against his will?”

Don't worry. He'll let you know. But don't try to edit in advance what God is willing to do for you. Ask specifically. And secondly … Bartimaeus asked for it all.

He could have asked for a few coins and Jesus probably would have given them. If he asked for food, Jesus probably would have given him that as well. But …

Bartimaeus had the faith to ask for the impossible

He asked to be able to see.He wasn't content just to say, I need some help … I need some bread … I need some alms. Nope. He asked for the moon! He said, “Jesus ... I want the impossible.” And notice what happens next:

52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.” Immediately he could see and began to follow Jesus on the road.

Jesus’ response is very interesting:

52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.” Immediately he could see and began to follow Jesus on the road.

Your faith has saved and healed you?? What did Bartimaeus do that showed such faith?

Well, he wasn't like the men who tore open the roof of the home where Jesus was teaching so they could lower their sick friend into his presence. He wasn't like the woman who fought through the crowd so she could touch the hem of his garment. He wasn't like the centurion who came to Jesus and said, "Just say the word from here and my servant will be healed." When you read this story, you can't help but wonder: What was this great demonstration of faith on the part of Bartimaeus?

All he did was ask … with urgency. Exactly!

He came to Jesus with urgent faith!

His extreme sense of urgency is a mirror of what ought to be in our souls.

Spiritual blessings belong to those who “go for it.” Listen to what Jesus said:

Matthew 5:6 (CSB) 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Helpless Bartimaeus “went for it.” And Bartimaeus was heard above the crowd. Jesus heard him. Imagine it! Blind at the beginning of Jesus’ sentence, he was seeing at the end of it!

No surgery! No bandages! No adjustment! Boom—sight!

He saw human beings for the first time. He saw the gawking crowd. He saw “The City of Roses” hung with palm trees But the thing he saw first was the face of Jesus. What do we learn from this account?

Bottom Line: God delights in our urgent prayers of faith.

Jesus was passing through Jericho, never to come that way again. If Bartimaeus had not responded, he would never have had another chance. Jesus of Nazareth is passing by some of those around us today.

The book of James says…

James 4:2 (CSB) 2 You desire and do not have. You do not have because you do not ask.

All Bartimaeus could do was ask to be healed — and it was enough. It demonstrated faith on his part, and as a result, Jesus healed him. Asking is, in itself, an act of faith.

The act of asking demonstrates your faith.

The size of your faith is revealed by the size of your prayers. Do you have enough faith to ask for something big?

Do you have enough faith to ask for it all?

Do you have enough faith to ask for the impossible?

CONCLUSION

Just as Jesus spoke to Bartimaeus on the Jericho Road two thousand years ago, he's standing before you today and asking, "What do you want me to do for you?"

What will your answer be? What are you willing to ask for?

Are you willing to ask and keep on asking? Are you willing to ask even if it puts you at risk of looking foolish? Are you willing to ask for the impossible? When you ask God for anything at all, you are demonstrating your faith. And the size of your faith is revealed by the size of your prayers.

Be like Bartimaeus. Ask God immediately, and keep on asking. Forget about what the crowd may think or say. Ask anyway. And ask specifically for what you want, even if it seems impossible. That's the kind of faith God rewards. I love the way this account ends. It says…

52Immediately he could see and began to follow Jesus on the road.

Scholars say the reason Mark preserves Bartimaeus’ name was that he became a stalwart in the Jerusalem church.

He followed Jesus, witnessing the Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday, the horror of the Crucifixion, and the joy of the Resurrection. Talk about getting one’s eyes full! Bartimaeus' greatest benefit was being able to follow Jesus. From that day on he witnessed Jesus performing miracles and touching people's lives. He heard him teach the crowds who surrounded him.

Jesus performed the impossible for Bartimaeus, and Bartimaeus responded with greater love and devotion than he had ever known. God wants to make it possible for you to be a more devoted follower of Christ. Don't be afraid to ask.

Action Steps

Pray immediately

Pray boldly

Pray specifically

Bottom Line: God delights in our urgent prayers of faith.

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Sources:

1 R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 2, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 68–69.

2 Alan Carr, “What’s a Poor, Blind Beggar to Do? (Mark 10:46–52),” in The Sermon Notebook: New Testament (Lenoir, NC: Alan Carr, 2015), 874.

3 R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 2, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 68–70.

4 Alan Carr, “What’s a Poor, Blind Beggar to Do? (Mark 10:46–52),” in The Sermon Notebook: New Testament (Lenoir, NC: Alan Carr, 2015), 874.

5 Alan Carr, “What’s a Poor, Blind Beggar to Do? (Mark 10:46–52),” in The Sermon Notebook: New Testament (Lenoir, NC: Alan Carr, 2015), 875.

6 R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 2, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 70.

7 R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 2, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 71.

8 David L. McKenna and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Mark, vol. 25, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1982), 213.

9 David Guzik, Mark, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Mk 10:46–52.

10 Bruce B. Barton, Mark, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1994), 309–310.

11 David L. McKenna and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Mark, vol. 25, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1982), 213–214.

12 R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 2, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 73.

13 R. Kent Hughes, Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior, vol. 2, Preaching the Word (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989), 74–75.