Believing Is Not Seeing

Mark 10:46-52

46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.

Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”

50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

51 So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”

52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

This morning I would like to preach on the subject of, Believing is Not Seeing. We have been in this pandemic season, and the road has not always been easy to navigate. And often times we have not been able to see how things are going to turn out. We have been looking with our physical sight but just like blind Bartimaeus it is not the things that we see, that are going to sustain us.

Now the Bible in Hebrews 11:1 gives us a working definition of faith, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And I came by here to tell you this morning we can learn some lesson from the blind beggar. We don’t know a lot about Bartimaeus, in fact in the account of Mark and Luke we only know his name, the name of his father, and his only means of support was to sit side the road and beg.

This was has lot in life he had no other means to support himself as in the status of the time he was at the bottom, but there was a chance encounter. God does not always work in how you think it is going to happen, Isaiah 55:8 puts it “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. And just as Bartimaeus was blind in the physical and his means of getting around was to wait for somebody to lead him of try to feel his way around, moving by trial and error, that is how a lot of us move in faith.

If we can’t see it, if we didn’t plan it, or it didn’t come in the form we wanted we assume our breakthrough is not going to happen. And sitting their by the road that day Bartimaeus said, “This is my day!” We just like that blind beggar have to declare it and make our needs known to the Lord!

Haven’t you been sitting by the road long enough? We will say I am waiting to see what God is going to do what my issue, and God is waiting on us to bring the issue to Him. Just as that blind beggar said I am going to step out on my faith, I am going to carry everything to Jesus, and I won’t let nothing or nobody stop my praise!

As we are moving through this season of Lent we should be working for and looking for something to be different on the other side of it. We should be looking and striving for a different walk and a different talk. Bartimaeus though he could not see with his eyes, spiritually had 20/20 vision, and this morning I want to drop in your spirit 3 steps to get God to hear your prayers.

Step No. 1: Base Your Prayers on God’s Word

1 John 5:14-15 : 14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

The key to seeing the kind of results God wants you to achieve through prayer is not just being random, hoping something might happen, but be intentional. James wrote, in James 4:3 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. If you want to God to abide in your prayers base your prayers on God’s Word.

If you are in need of healing, don’t pray what the doctor says or what tradition has taught you. Pray, .1 Peter 2:24 ,who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. When I had my first eye surgery some years ago Rev. Jackie put this scripture all over the house in about every room you would go in it would be there.

Do you have a financial need? Don’t pray your problem—pray the answer! God has said He will provide for you, so pray, “Thank You, God, that You have said You will supply all my need according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I call on this promise now, in the Name of Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

When you focus on the answer, it will activate your faith.

Step No. 2: Submerge Your Prayers in Faith

Matthew 21:22

22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Once you begin praying based on God’s Word, the next step in praying effectively is to submerge your prayers in faith. That means you don’t wait for a manifestation to believe you receive—that’s not faith!

Believe you receive when you pray.

God’s Word is always true, He’s not a man that He should lie. If He says it’s done—it’s done. So, as you pray, begin to move yourself from believing He can do it, too knowing He will do it.

Speak It

Start your praise of thanks before you see the manifestation of the answers to your prayers. Then, hold fast to your praise without wavering. We need some Bartimaeus worshipers this morning, when tell you it’s not going to happen shout your praise louder. Don’t speak faith one day, then doubt the next. Hold on tightly; don’t let go!

Act On It

In verse 51 of our text Bartimaeus in faith made his request to Jesus, and when Jesus replied in verse 52, He told him to, “Go on your way, your faith has made you well.” He never questioned Jesus, he just acted on what Jesus told him.

When you act in faith with that kind of determination on the Word of God, you will always wind up the winner.

Step No. 3: Stop Fear in Its Tracks

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not [a]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Satan is a master trickster. But because he doesn’t have any real authority, he has to rely on the same old tactics, his main one is one is fear.

Fear is debilitating and in this pandemic season he has been like a kid with a new toy with it. It will hinder your belief in God’s Word, it will stop you from receiving your breakthrough and rob you of your joy. Just think if Bartimaeus was too scared to give the praise, he would have miss the blessing. But Satan is wrong 100 percent of the time. Praise the Lord. He always is. He’s never told you the truth yet.

If you want to see results in your prayer life, fear and doubt can no longer be part of your vocabulary. You don’t always need to say everything you think! And you certainly don’t need to say things you don’t mean. Jesus said, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37, WEB).  Anything outside of that stems from evil. Clean up your vocabulary and begin to talk the Word of God. Refuse to allow doubt and fear to enter into your space.

You can’t stop the devil from knocking on the door, but you sure don’t have to answer!

Not only Satan, but even people will try to talk you out of your stand of faith—don’t listen! In verse 48 of our text, “the crowd warned him to keep quite.” And like that blind beggar we have got to say, “I refuse to let doubt or fear keep me from my blessing. I am standing on the truth, and the truth makes me free!”