Welcome to the Come to Jesus Daily Devotional, posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, as we continue our Luke: Exploring Who Jesus Is series.
Please note this week, due to our week of prayer, I'll be posting every weekday.
From Luke 18:35-39, let’s reflect on how understanding our needs, understanding the needs of others, and conviction of Jesus’ love and sufficiency ignite passionate prayer.
You can listen to this devotional below (It’s available on Youtube and many other platforms)
‘As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”’ (Luke 18:35-39)
In this account, the blind man sets a powerful example of passionate and persistent prayer. This chapter begins with the story of the Persistent Widow, who “kept coming to him with the plea.” Jesus concludes that parable with these words: “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?”
The lesson is clear: if the widow, knowing she was appealing to an unjust judge, persisted in her intercession, how much more should we, who know God as our loving Father, persist in prayer! This blind man exemplifies the kind of bold, faith-filled, and unwavering prayer that Jesus calls us to.
This man recognised his deep need for healing. He felt unworthy of Jesus’ attention yet had faith in Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, as shown by his cry: “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Throughout this chapter (which is worth revisiting), we see a consistent theme: the proud and self-righteous are rejected, while the humble, those who seek mercy, are not only saved but also demonstrate great power in prayer.
From this account of Jesus’ response to humble prayer, we learn that recognising our own needs, understanding the needs of others, and being convinced of Jesus’ love and sufficiency will naturally lead us to passionate prayer. When we fail to pray, it often stems from a lack of awareness or belief: perhaps we don’t fully grasp our need for God’s mercy, or we underestimate our own weakness and dependence on His help. Maybe we don’t recognise that others, without Christ, desperately need God’s mercy. Or perhaps we struggle to trust in God’s love or His power.
The truth is, those who deeply understand their own need for God’s help, recognise the needs of others, and are confident in His love and power will pray faithfully and fervently.
Things to go away and pray for or reflect on:
Does my manner of prayer match what I believe about Jesus’ love and power to meet needs?
Who needs my persistent prayers at the moment?
Using today’s text, pray for your church to pray like the blind man in this episode.
Community Group Notes
Due to our week of prayer, there is no group study this week. We would love you to come along to as many of our prayer meetings as you can. If you want details of the Zoom link, please contact the church office or, if you are signed up, look at Church News in your emails.
Theme of the Week
Our week of prayer will follow the theme of our Luke series. Inspired by Luke 18:31-43, we’ll focus on “fresh vision from God that leads our community to praise Him.”
Each day, during our morning and evening Zoom gatherings, as well as our in-person meeting on Wednesday, we’ll explore these themes:
Monday: Luke 18:31-33. Fresh vision from Jesus.
Tuesday: Luke 18:31-33. Fresh vision of the gospel.
Wednesday: Luke 18:34. Fresh vision from the Spirit.
Thursday: Luke 18:35-39. Fresh vision results from and leads to prayer.
Friday: Luke 18:4—42. Fresh vision leads others to praise God.
Sunday: General prayer inspired by our week of praying together.
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