Today’s Scripture: John 5:8
Jesus believed in giving assignments to people. In this week’s story, He ordered the man to “pick up your mat and walk.” When he spoke with the rich ruler, He told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor (Luke 18:18-30). When He healed the blind man, He instructed him to avoid returning to the village (Mark 8:26). Another blind man was told to “go and wash” (John 9:6-7). When He fed the crowds, He told the disciples to find food for the people (Matt. 14:16). He even gave the Pharisees a “go and learn” assignment (Matt. 9:11-13).
Recently the Lord showed me that I want Him to answer my prayers because I don’t like being inconvenienced. Maybe you do the same thing. Think about it. We want an unsaved family member to come to the Lord because he’d be easier to get along with—making our lives so much more pleasant. Or we want Him to bless us financially because we don’t enjoy the discipline of having to work within a budget.
Maybe a good rule for us to follow after the Lord answers a prayer would be to ask, “What would You like me to do for You? You met my request. Now It’s my turn to meet Yours.” See what assignment God gives you.
- What do you think the Lord would say if, after He answered a prayer, you asked Him, “Now what would you like me to do for You?”
- If the Lord asked you “why” every time you asked Him to meet a need, how would you respond? How would your spiritual life deepen if you spent as much effort meeting the Lord’s requests as you do making your requests known to Him?