Spit it Out

Have you ever noticed how sometimes people will be telling a story and you keep waiting for them to get to the point? You wonder if they're ever going to get there. The story keeps rambling on and on until you just want to say, "Spit it Out!" How much more do we appreciate people who are direct (and hopefully loving) and get to the point?

In Mark 10, we see the story of Jesus and his disciples leaving Jericho and along the roadside there was a blind man named Bartimaeus. The man cries out, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!" (v.47). When Jesus calls him over, he asks Bartimaeus, "What do you want me to do for you?", to which he replies, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight." (v.51). Then Jesus says, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." and immediately Bartimaeus regains his sight! (v.52).

By referring to him as the son of David, Bartimaeus acknowledged who Jesus was--the Messiah from the House of David (Luke 1:26-33). Our Savior then reveals his servant's heart by asking him what he could do for him. Bartimaeus doesn't ramble; he cuts right to the chase in asking for his sight. And Jesus answers his prayer immediately in recognition of the rock-solid faith behind his request.

Failing to get to the point in our prayer life, much like a rambling story that never seems to end, can also make our prayers ineffective. The Lord certainly knew Bartimaeus' need for sight. What he also needed was the faith to believe that God and God alone could meet his need. Our Father stands ready, willing and able to answer our prayers if we have the confidence that says our faith in Him is unwavering. Just spit it out.