09-Aug-2024 – If you know Him, wait for Him with patience and hope
As many as touched Him were made whole. – Mark 6:56
If we read verses 54 to 56, we can understand the attitude of the people who came to Jesus. Today, we will meditate on this attitude, which is essential for us in our daily lives, especially in prayer.
And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him. – Mark 6:54
At first glance, we might wonder what’s so significant about identifying Jesus. But it is a big deal. Recognizing Jesus when He is near is crucial. In those days, Jesus was physically among them. They might have seen Him, observed how He moved about with His disciples. Many people could have been passing through, but when they saw Jesus, they could identify Him from afar.
This is the first step in our spiritual life. Today, we do not see Jesus physically, but we know that He is near to us through His Word and through the Holy Spirit. When we recognize His presence, the next step will naturally follow if we are His believers.
And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. – Mark 6:55
Once they recognized Him, they knew what He was capable of. They ran through the whole region and mobilized people to gather in the presence of Jesus Christ. They did not hesitate to do this, nor did they ask Jesus whether He was free or not. They knew why they needed Jesus and understood their desperate condition and the value of the opportunity.
This is the second quality we must attain in our spiritual life to make powerful and effective prayers. We must fully know and believe that, apart from Jesus, there is no other option. We should recognize the opportunity and bring all our concerns into His presence. When He is near, we should not let the time pass without encountering Him.
And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole. – Mark 6:56
Here we see that they prepared themselves to be ready when Jesus came near them. This is an example of watchfulness. Imagine a village with 25 streets. Jesus started from the seashore, and a few people came and were healed, a few were delivered. The news spread across the village, and people brought out their sick relatives and family members, waiting for Jesus to come near them. If it took hours, they would have waited.
This is the third quality that a believer needs to have for their prayers to be answered. We must believe and wait patiently for His presence to move in our lives. We live in a generation where the Holy Spirit is always with us, meaning the presence of Jesus is always with us. So why do we need to wait patiently?
Imagine a person on the 5th street. For Jesus to reach him, He has to go through the other 4 streets first, right? Now, in our situation, we might be struggling in a particular area, needing the Lord’s help and intervention. But the Lord sees that there are many interlinked situations and scenarios that need to be set right before He addresses that specific issue. This is when we need patience and hope.
These three qualities make a believer a powerful person of prayer. Today, we learned that to pray better, we need to practice the following three qualities, and may God help us to incorporate them into our daily lives:
- Recognize the presence of the Lord.
- Recognize that Jesus is the only way and hope.
- Wait with patience.
Prayer
Dear loving Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and grace. Thank You for teaching us today about the importance of recognizing Your presence, knowing that You are the only way, and waiting patiently for the answers to our prayers. Help us, Lord, to practice these valuable truths in our lives. I pray in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
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