What Do You Want?

Recently I noticed that there are two recorded times when Jesus asked someone “What do you want Me to do for you?” Both occur in Mark 10 (as well as the parallel passage in Matthew 20). In the first instance, James and John (and their mother according to Matthew) asked to be honored in Jesus’s kingdom. In the second, blind Bartimaeus (and another blind man per Matthew) asked to recover his sight. Two entirely different motives were revealed—pride and the desire for glory vs. humility and a request for mercy. The request made by the “Sons of Thunder” made the other disciples indignant and resulted in Jesus preaching a mini-sermon on servanthood. But the request from Bartimaeus led to a commendation of his faith and the immediate granting of his appeal.

In He Is Not Ashamed, Erik Raymond writes:

“Bartimaeus couldn’t do anything for Jesus. He came as a needy man, and Jesus was ready to give. Jesus also didn’t insult him or belittle his condition. Unlike the crowd who looked down on him, Jesus built him up by honoring him. Far from being ashamed of him, Jesus publicly welcomed and dignified the man… He had no interest in personal exaltation; he just wanted mercy”

Jesus responded similarly to the Canaanite woman whose daughter was demon-oppressed in Matthew 15. She asked for mercy and was commended for her faith and her daughter was healed. Those who desire mercy will find it in Jesus.

However, we often come to God with mixed motives. What we desire may be a good thing: healing from illness, restoration of relationships, etc. But our wishes may become idols that attempt to push God off His throne. As is mentioned in this recent episode of the Hope and Help Podcast, can we honestly say, “I want to glorify God more than I want ______”? There are many things in life I would change if I had the power, and I wonder what God is doing in and through them. Yet I have to trust that His way is not only best, but also results in His ultimate glory. My wishes may bring me comfort or momentary happiness, but they may also rob God of the glory that is due to Him. (This is one reason the prosperity gospel is so twisted and unbiblical.)

We have a high priest who experienced weakness and has sympathy for the weak (Heb. 4:15). We have the Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness (Rom. 8:26). Our God will not let us be tempted beyond our ability, but provides a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). He gives us sufficient grace (2 Cor. 12:9). But we have to admit our weakness and rely on Him so that He is the One who is glorified and not us. His glory may be revealed through healing, or it may come through trusting Him to carry us when we know we can’t make it on our own.

God invites us to come to Him and to ask what we want, but with the understanding that what He gives us is the mercy we need, not necessarily the “fix” that we desire. Our faith has opportunity to grow when we have to trust that God’s “No” is for our ultimate good.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

© 2024 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Seeing Results

One Sunday recently in Sunday school we were talking about God sightings, and a few people shared ways they had seen God at work that week. This week I had a few answers to prayer. One was a specific solution to a technical problem that came to me during the night. The next day I found Psalm 16:7 (ESV), “I bless the Lord, who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.” God had done exactly that.

Another answer to prayer was that multiple people came to basically the same conclusion on an issue independently. It seemed clear to all of us that God was closing that particular door. That led me to Psalm 38:15, “But for You, O Lord, do I wait; it is You, O Lord my God, who will answer.” God provided the answer when it was needed.

Earlier in the week I read 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” I was really puzzling over how that kind of encouragement can be accomplished when so much of what I deal with from day to day is confidential for various reasons. But by the end of the week I knew that friends don’t necessarily need to know all the details of a problem in order to pray for you and thereby encourage you. Some prayer requests must be shared only in general terms, and prayer must be offered in faith that God knows all the details.

However, that doesn’t mean that prayers need to be vague. I always wonder what people mean when they pray “God, be with so and so” or “bless them.” God is always with us and He is always blessing us in one way or another, so what do those prayers accomplish? I know those phrases have become a kind of Christianese shorthand for “accomplish good things in that person’s life,” but we can tend to use words without much thought or purpose. Jesus said, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7).

There are plenty of biblical prayers that we can pray even when we don’t know the details of what a person is dealing with. Praying for wisdom and guidance is usually a good idea (Colossians 1:9). Who doesn’t need wisdom in the complex decisions we have to make every week? Prayer for the right words at the right time is beneficial for the wide variety of relationships we have (Ephesians 6:19). And we could all use prayers for growth in faith (Ephesians 4:15-16). We may not know exactly what to pray, but “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

In the situations I’ve mentioned, my primary prayer was for wisdom in what I should do. God gave clear direction in each case. If I had prayed only vague prayers, though God would still have done what He willed, I probably would not have noticed His answer. My faith was strengthened by seeing how God was at work not just in my own life and circumstances but in other people as well. “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith… praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:16, 18).

May we all be spurred on to pray specifically and persistently for those we know, and may we find encouragement in learning how God has answered those prayers.

“In the day of trouble I call upon You, for You answer me” (Psalm 86:7).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Unexpected Answers

The month of May is our denominational prayer month. Besides the prayer blogs we’ve posted, we also hosted a prayer summit and prayed together as led by some nationally known speakers on prayer. At the same time, I’ve been reading some interesting books, one of which is Praying for Your Elephant, by Adam Stadtmiller. I’m not sure I agree with everything in the book since I haven’t finished it yet, but it has challenged me to begin praying more boldly and specifically.

Then last week came and I was surprised to learn that a house I’d been interested in was going to be sold and I had first choice. I was both excited and terrified by the possibility. My beginning prayer was, “If this is Your will, make the asking price within my desired range.” It was a few days later when I learned that God had answered that prayer, but during that few days God did something I didn’t expect. He revealed to me my heart’s desire. As I posted last week, I found that I had some priorities that outweighed my desire to own a home. I realized that the price of the house didn’t really matter anymore. I’m more convinced than ever that prayer changes us, not God. I got what I thought was the elephant I was asking for, but God also gave me something far better—an opportunity to see Him at work.

As the week drew to a close, I realized that it had been an opportunity to practice Romans 12:2 (ESV): “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” I’d started the week feeling somewhat pressured to conform to the world’s standards and the American dream. It took a few days for me to understand why that made me uncomfortable. Although I hadn’t specifically intended to search the Scriptures to see what they said about owing money or owning property, God brought to my mind some particular verses and themes that I had read in the past, and that helped me to know that His will for me was to do something kind of countercultural. At the same time, I knew that God’s love would not change regardless of what I chose, but that my joy would be made complete by abiding in Him and trusting in His provision for me. I didn’t need to worry about the next 30 years, but just be faithful to Him this week.

I also found that God had followed through on the promise of Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” It would have been easy to trust my understanding and the world’s wisdom that investing in property often (but not always) pays off. But trusting God and seeking His guidance led to a very different path than I started out on. My path may not look like anyone else’s and it may not make sense to others, but His way is a straight path toward His destination.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will act” (Psalm 37:4-5). Although I’ve long known that this Scripture doesn’t mean God will always give me what I think I want, it was reiterated for me through this process. My superficial desire was peeled back to reveal the true desires of my heart. I found my delight was truly in God and not in the things of this world. I had committed my way to Him and trusted Him, and He acted by showing me more of Himself.

We can miss so much when we start seeking answers to prayer rather than seeking God. I don’t know if I would have prayed differently if I had known how everything would turn out. I don’t believe my original request was wrong, but it was colored by a lot of things that needed to be stripped away: cultural impressions, the influence of certain people, planning for the future, etc. It’s not necessarily wrong to pray for elephants, but you might discover that what you really want is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

It’s funny—the possibility of buying a house made me suddenly feel like a grown-up, but God was in the process of making me grow in faith. Spiritual maturity is so much more important, and yet there are so many Christians who are willing to settle for the superficial answers and a lukewarm faith. I don’t want to settle. I want to glorify God with every decision, trusting the One who knows best, and delighting in Him.

“How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! …Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:17, 23-24).