Day 10 in the School of Prayer : Say It!

Jesus stopped and said, “Call Him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” (Mark 10:49-52)

Among the lessons in our primer, this may be the easiest thus far; the Lord does not want to us to voice vague calls for His mercy or undefined pleas for His blessing. He wants us to be direct and to state clearly our need. In doing so, we are moved to clarify our need, to dwell upon it and evaluate it, to consider it in the context of the Kingdom. Jesus asks, what do you want me to do for you? Are you prepared with an answer? No vague and pointless prayer will satisfy this question. It is prayer that is bold, direct, and from the deepest wells of our hearts that the Lord seeks. Put aside all other.

Murray directs us further though, back into the King James text for the emphasis of the Master’s words: “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” What wilt thou—not, what wish thou? A wish is a formless, meaningless, hope-for. Something can be wished for without being willed. The will however will stop at nothing until it is achieved. It has a purpose and as the Holy Spirit directs, it has a kingdom purpose. God will have no peace until He answers this prayer. The wish vanishes like a child’s balloon over the horizon. What is willed will be.

Lord, teach us to pray.