One of my favorite privileges as a pastor is giving other really gifted ministers the opportunity to share truths that have changed their lives and that I believe will change your life. Below is an article by Tonya McKinley who is a very gifted minister that attends Grace Life Church. Tonya is the founder of Hadassah Ministries, which is a women’s ministry that is focused on helping women of all ages to know how much they are loved of God, to grow in their identity in Him and to discover their destiny in His Kingdom. Don’t stop reading yet if you are a guy! This article is about what great faith looks like and applies to men and women. It’s really good! I hope it blesses you! Without further adieu, give it a read.
Are you expecting answers when you pray?
Have you been praying for something and not seeing results? Sometimes the waiting can be frustrating, but I have a question for you: What are you expecting?
I know in my own walk with God, I have prayed but not always with expectation. Prayer is one of the first things I do, but is it a habit? Is prayer just something I run to but don’t really have an expectation to receive what I have been praying for?
There are so many examples of Jesus answering prayers in the Word, but the people who were asking of Jesus, were expecting an outcome. Take the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9:20 -22, Mark 5:25-34, Luke 8:43-48). Both Matthew and Mark tell us that she said to herself “if I only touch the hem of his garment, I will be made well.” This woman had suffered 12 long years, separated from her family, from people, and had to yell out that she was unclean if anyone came near her. She had spent all her money trying to be cured, but she heard of Jesus and so came expecting. She said it, if only I can touch him, I WILL BE MADE WELL! Jesus told her, “your faith made you well.” Faith is expectation!
Blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46 – 52, was expecting. He heard Jesus was walking by and he knew without a doubt that Jesus could heal him. Why did he know? Because Bartimaeus recognized his savior. I know this because he called out to him and called him, son of David. “And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.” Mark 10:47.
Why is this important? Every Jew would know that the Messiah would come from the lineage of David. “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:32-33.
Jesus was from the lineage of David, he was fulfilling the prophecy and when Bartimaeus called out to the son of David, he was letting Jesus know that he knew who He was, the Messiah, the savior, and his healer!
Even when the people tried to hush him, ole Bart cried out even louder! He was not going to let the naysayers hush him, he was expecting something from Jesus, he was expecting to leave there with his sight!
Another cool thing Bartimaeus did was he throw away his beggar’s cloak. “And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.” Mark 10: 49-50. Beggars in that time had a special cloak that told the people they were beggars and that is how they would make money. But Bart knew that he was not going to need it any longer, he was going to be healed. He was expecting!
“And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” Mark 10:51-52.
Bartimaeus knew without a doubt that Jesus would heal him, he had no other expectation. Faith is expectation that God will do what he promised He would do. All you have to do is believe. You don’t have to go to church every Sunday, read your bible every day, pray for hours at a time. All those things are wonderful, but they don’t get your prayers answered. God’s grace is what does that! When you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you received the whole package: healing, preservation, rescue from danger and destruction, deliverance from judgement, and salvation from disease.
Pray with expectation and receive what God has for you today!!
In Him,
Tonya McKinley
www.hadassah-ministries.org
