Ephesians 3:14-19

Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Mark 10:46-52 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 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.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Do you have faith or have you stopped crying out? Are you sitting by the side of the road with the mindset that nothing will change? Notice Paul says, And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Paul's prayer for the saints is a faith cry grounded in his sure belief that God changes things. Bartimaeus' cry to Jesus was a statement of faith. He believed Jesus could heal his blindness. Both men expressed faith in their pleas. Are you still crying out to Jesus in prayer, believing God can change you and your circumstances? Do you believe God can open your mind to the fathomless love of Christ and give you his knowledge and wisdom? DO YOU BELIEVE! Prayer, crying out to God, requires faith. If you are faithless, you will stop believing, stop praying, stop fasting, and you will stop doing the will of God.

Paul faced persecution, imprisonment, and a sentence of death, yet he still held enough faith in his spirit to pray fervently for the spiritual strength and well-being of the saints. He wanted his converts to understand their inheritance and the depths of God's great mercy and love. He did not view God as some uninvolved Creator, a clock maker who set everything in motion and then sat back to watch his handiwork struggle alone. No, he believed in God's active and purposeful involvement in changing and transforming people. He believed God was involved with making new creatures and in establishing a healthy, viable, and strong church. Paul's life and words epitomized faith. He chose to be a doer, a prayer warrior, a leader of men.

Jesus said to Bartimaeus, "Your cry to me has made you whole. You cried out to me, believing I could change things for you; therefore, Your faith has healed you." Are you still crying out for your needs and for the needs of others, or have you turned to your rational, secular mind for meaning and the answers to life's questions? Have disappointments, discouragements, and adverse happenings in your life caused your faith to ebb or shut down? The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” Many of us need to say those same words to our God, "Increase our faith! HELP US TO BELIEVE, HELP US TO CRY OUT." We cannot sit on the sidelines while Jesus is in our presence with outstretched arms. We cannot just say nothing, thinking that all things continue as they have from the beginning of time. Jesus' life and his resurrection from the dead reveal that change is in the air. He performed miracles that no man from the beginning of time could do. The Son of God does change and transform lives, delivering us from every bondage and the power of sin.

A walk of faith pleases God. Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews (11:6) Your reading of this devotion pleases God. Your prayers meditations, Bible reading, and professions of faith please God. All of these activities reveal your life of trust and belief in God. Therefore, my friend continue to give God the best of your time. Do not sit on the sidelines, complaining about others and the way things are; instead, activate your faith by doing good works, by praying with confidence in Christ's work. If you do, Jesus will stop and look at you; He will call you over and say to you, "Your faith has healed you." He will strengthen the new creature in you and establish you in his love with a deep and divine knowledge of God. Choose to trust and to serve him this day, and He will lift you up into heavenly places.