January 31

What Do You Need?

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalms 18:16-24 | Exodus 12:14-13:16 | Matthew 20:29-21:22 | Proverbs 6:12-15

Today’s Scripture Focus: Matthew 20:29-21:22

“Jesus stopped and called them, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ he asked.’ ‘Lord,’ they answered, ‘we want our sight.’ Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes.  Immediately they received their sight and followed him” (Matthew 20:32-34 TNIV).

Like the blind men, we all stand in need of God’s grace and mercy. Their need was to see their sight restored. Christ saw the need and responded to their request out of his heart of compassion. What can we learn from the blind men?

They were not shy about their need. Often we do not have because we do not ask. The blind men were not afraid to make their need known to the one who could meet it. So too, we should bring our requests to God.

They were persistent. Even when the crowds tried to quiet them, they cried out all the more intensely. Persistence is an important quality to prayer. We are tempted to give up, but we ought to persist in faith.

They were specific in their request. Jesus asked them to be more specific. Sometimes our prayers are so generic and without specificity. That kind of praying gets us nowhere. The blind men made their need plain, “we want our sight.” Be specific.

They trusted Christ. Their faith is clear. It was demonstrated in their request. It is seen even more clearly in the fact that they became disciples of Christ: they followed him.

What is your need? Bring it to Jesus. Like he did with the blind men, he asks: “What do you want me to do for you?”

Compassionate Lord, I bring my need to you. I ask, seek, and knock. I look for your answer. Amen.