Ask Jesus

I was reading Luke 18 in my devotional reading this morning. This is a familiar section of Scripture for many Christians. We see the Pharisee and the Tax collector, the rich ruler, the persistent woman, the children coming to Christ. Finally, we see Jesus healing the blind man in Luke 18:35-43.

We all know the story, a blind man heard the crowd and asked them what is going on? They told him that Jesus was passing by them. This was the man’s chance. He cried out to Jesus, “Have mercy on me!” Jesus stops and talks to the man and asks him a simple question, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man, without hesitation, “Restore my sight.” Jesus heals the man and tells him that his faith is what has made him well.

Now, I want to make an observation about this, but I want to be clear this is not a passage to give us some sort of prosperity doctrine. We can’t just ask for anything and God grant it to us like some sort of genie. That is not what Scripture says at all nor is that what we should take away from this passage.

But Scripture does tell us that sometimes we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2b). However, in the very next verse, James tells us sometimes we do not receive when we ask because our motives are not pure. That destroys the prosperity gospel but lifts up this one thing, we should ask the Lord for help.

That is what this blind man did. He heard the Lord was near and he cried out to Him. He asked Jesus to heal Him from his affliction and Jesus decided to do it. He asked.

Again, this is not to say that Jesus will do everything we ask of Him. That is not the message here. But we should ask. Ask in faith. Ask in earnest. The Lord will show us what the answer is in due time. He will either answer with a yes, or He will say no. Remember that sometimes it is the Lord’s will for us to stay in our afflictions (2 Cor. 12:7). But always pray, always ask.