He asks

Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.   

                                                                                                                      Matt. 20.32

Jesus was on His way out of Jericho. A large crowd was following Him yet, despite the likely noise that the crowd may have made, He heard the cry of the two blind men. But He did more! On hearing their cry, He stopped and addressed Himself to them. He asked them what they would have Him do for them.

What an amazing situation! The God of all creation asks what He might do for an individual.

The blind men had no hesitation in asking for their sight. And Jesus responded. He had compassion on them. He touched their eyes and immediately they received their sight. Imagine their jubilation.

Now, dare I put myself in a similar position? Jesus is going about His normal business when I cry out to Him, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me.” As I cry out, He stops. Yes, I see Him stop what He’s doing, right now, and He turns to me. “What do you want me to do for you?” He asks. This is so real. I can hear Him now, asking me with genuine appeal. My response must be fully sincere.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of God,

I cry out to You in my need. I want to know You more. I wish to enter into deeper, and ever deepening, relationship with You. I pray that I may know You, truly know You.

I seek Your ways for me and I look for You to be ever present in the ways I take. May I be guided and directed by You. May I know the joy of ongoing partnership with You.

I see You now. You beckon to me, and I respond. Gracious Lord, I give You me. I can give nothing more. Take me, please, and make me Yours. The journey is ever ongoing. I ask that You would be my constant companion. I love and worship You.        Amen.

My book “God Talk” is available through major Internet booksellers.

A taste of the book's content can be seen in the You Tube clip (Search: Peter Francis - "God Talk").

Listening

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death.”    Matt. 20.18

For the third time (16.21; 17.23) Matthew records Jesus warning the disciples of his forthcoming betrayal and suffering. Even so, when the time of His arrest and trial came, I imagine that the disciples could well have been taken by surprise and anger.

I wonder, then, how it might be with me! Perhaps God has told me certain things, maybe up to three times! Have I heard Him, truly heard Him? Is there, perhaps, a propensity within us to hear, but not to listen? Am I truly giving myself to God in the fullest alertness to what He might want of me, whether in being or doing?

Jesus would withdraw to “solitary places”. Here He would make Himself available to the Father, laying all else aside to focus on what His Holy Heavenly Father would share with Him. He lived to do only what He saw the Father do. He lived to follow through in perfect obedience.

I have the most wonderful opportunity to meet with the Father in my delightful home setting. Here, whether indoors or walking the beach and environs, I can peaceably commune with Him. There are no distractions, save any that I allow to creep in.

How blessed I am!

Holy Father,

I thank You for Your gifting to me of a home of peace where I can come to You at any time. I thank You for the surroundings that readily draw me into Your presence.

If I have failed to listen to what You say to me and have not followed through, I ask Your forgiveness. I pray that You would speak clearly to me.

May I know something of the sweetness of communicating with You as Jesus did? May I be stilled by Your Holy Spirit such that connection with You is instantaneous? May I hear You and joyfully obey?

I ask these requests of You in Jesus’ name.                Amen.

Alert

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard.”                                                                    Matt. 20.1

I note that the landowner went out early in the morning. He also went out about the third hour, about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, and about the eleventh hour. In other words, from very early in the morning until the final moments of the day, the landowner was alert to the availability of workers and, furthermore, was ready to take them.

Jesus tells us right at the start that this is how the kingdom of heaven is. The owner, that is God Himself, is on a constant alert to bring people into the Kingdom. From early in the morning until late in the day talks to me of “all time”! Our heavenly Father is ever ready to receive us. I am thrilled by this! We do not have to seek Him out for He is on the constant lookout for us.

I am also mindful of the many different ways in which God takes us into His Kingdom. We are so different as individuals, and His ways and timings are also different.

But the reality is that this loving God is always there for us – at any hour of the day or night. And His reward is exactly the same for us all: full pardon, restoration and eternal life. Hallelujah!

Loving Father,

Your faithfulness is constant. I thank You for this. I thank You for the time when You brought me back to Yourself.

I rejoice in You, but my prayer is not wrapped up in me. I pray for those who have yet to enter into kingdom life. I lift them to You and intercede on their behalf. I pray for the early risers and the night owls. May You reach them, Lord. I ask You to prepare them for entry into this wonderful new life. And may they be willing to release themselves from the old and embrace the new.

Draw them to You, Lord. In Jesus’ name I ask.                  Amen.

My book “God Talk” is available through major Internet booksellers.

A taste of the book's content can be seen in the You Tube clip (Search: Peter Francis - "God Talk").