Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’” NASB

Let us continue our journey into understanding the misconceptions, the dynamics, and the importance of Prayer!

PRAYER IS MORE THAN A COMMITMENT IT IS A COMMAND….

We take immense pride here in America that we are Free!  We live in a society based on a Republican Democracy and revel in our Independence. That is great in helping the individual develop a sense of worth and significance. Still, it can also weaken our understanding of the force, power, and importance of authority. 

We must realize that the Bible is not a book of ‘suggestions.’ It is God’s Word!  In that light, prayer is not an ‘option.’ It is vital to life itself spiritually.  The word pray occurs 250 times, and the word praying 280 times, so that sounds pretty important to me!

However, when you say it is a ‘command,’ that seems to produce resistance in many hearts.  The command to pray is not to discipline us but because prayer is vital for our Spiritual Life!  How often do we need to pray?  How often do we need to breathe or eat?  How much time does establishing and developing a sound, wholesome relationship require?  That is how much we need to pray!

GENUINE PRAYER IS A CHALLENGE…

Remember the words of our text in Jeremiah 33 – God says Call.   That is our responsibility.  He then promises, “I will answer you.”  Then He adds, “I will show you great and mighty things, which you did not and do not know.”  

Therefore, it is simple – If we do not pray, we will miss many, if not most, of God’s answers and revelations!  No communication with God results in no revelations from God!

Life is a challenge!  We face one challenge after another as we wind our way through the maze called Life!  Through prayer, we can work our way through it with much greater ease and effectiveness.  The Church does not need more programs. It needs more, Jesus!  We might want to turn our ‘supper rooms’ into ‘upper rooms.’

PRAYER IS MORE THAN A COMMITMENT, COMMAND, AND CHALLENGE; IT IS ALSO A CATHARSIS….

1 Peter 5:7 – “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

That directive is a channel through which we can remove the negative emotions of anxiety, fear, and anger from our lives.  Prayer releases the overload of stress and pressure and casts them at the feet of our LORD!  It transfers the weight of life and living from the weak to the strong!  It is therapeutic, unlocks the inner man, and allows us to draw from God’s strength, wisdom, and might!  Prayer is a preventative from Burnout! 

Isaiah 40:31 – “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Prayer is the key to survival and victory!  It is our channel of communication with God Himself.  God meets with us in ascending levels of communication, where each level meets a great need in our lives.  Each level moves us into a higher realm in the Spirit.  Each level opens to us a greater degree of God’s presence.  Each level gives us a complete revelation of His Person and Nature.

Remember you have an Invitation to come before Him Anytime for Anything, and He is ready to Hear and Respond to you.

May God bless you as you go through your day!

Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’” NASB

Let us step a little deeper into our consideration of the importance, misconceptions, and dynamics of Prayer!

EFFECTIVE PRAYER REQUIRES COMMITMENT…

That is absolutely true, but it requires more than our commitment and dedication to the activity – – It also requires something on God’s part.  God has extended to us the ‘invitation’ to prayer, granted us the ‘ability’ to pray, and ‘teaches’ us to pray through the Holy Spirit.  Yet, we must never forget who we are addressing when we pray.

1 Timothy 6:15-16 – “… He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”  NASB

You do not just casually drop in on people like Presidents, Prime Ministers, or Royalty in the natural, so why would we think we could do so in the spiritual?  However, this one has extended an ‘invitation’ to enter His presence Anytime and make our request known to Him!  We have an Open Invitation to call upon Him anytime!

Jeremiah 29:12 – “…pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”  NASB

Job 33:26 – “Then he will pray to God, and He will accept him, that he may see His face with joy, and He may restore His righteousness to man.” NASB

When you realize God’s directive regarding prayer, you understand that the person who prays is promised a hearing; God delights in that person and promises divine righteousness to them.  That is incredible!  Prayer is not ‘overcoming the reluctance’ of God.  Prayer is responding to the provision of God.  The appointment has already been made, and it is up to us to keep it.  God Will!

Prayer is a powerful interaction with God.  It is not like a beggar asking for alms from a wealthy person.  It is more like an ambassador reporting to his superior.  Prayer demands discipline, dedication, and determination.

Jeremiah 29:13 – “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Did you see that?  God promised that if we seek Him, we will find Him When we do so with all our heart!  Prayer is more than praying for the needs of others or a particular desire or situation.  It is fellowshipping with God UNTIL you get to know His heart and will! 

So, my question for all of us is – “How much time does it require to know God intimately?”  People who only pray when the Spirit moves them seldom develop any real depth in their relationship with God.  God’s commitment to us requires a commitment from us!  He has made Himself available All the Time.  We must make ourselves available to Him.  Communication requires at least two persons!

I have a couple more thoughts on this subject but will hold them until another session. 

May the Lord richly be with you as you go through your day!

Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’” NASB

I want to illustrate and identify some misconceptions regarding prayer to identify its power, purpose, and importance in the Christian’s arsenal of Spiritual Weapons.

IT IS OFTEN MORE COMMODITY THAN AN ACTION.

What I mean by that is that in our generation, prayer seems to be viewed as something that can be manufactured, marketed, microwaved, and served as needed.  I am all for virtually every effort to get people to pray, but I am convinced that if people truly understand the dynamic of prayer and its power and purpose, they will pray! 

Some people seem to feel that prayer is like an item on the shelf in a grocery store.  We turn to prayer chains, calendars, days, and nights, rotating praying, sending money for others to pray for us, and even having dial-a-prayers. 

I am not suggesting that those are bad.  My question is, “How much do we actually pray ourselves and for ourselves?”  Too often, people specialize in a ‘word of prayer’ or ‘recite a canned prayer’ rather than actually engaging in the work of prayer!

It is apparent that most understand the need for prayer, but do we understand the dynamics of prayer and pray?  I heard an illustration years ago that illustrates what I am saying:

There was a wealthy widow on an Ocean Liner en route from England to America.  A severe storm developed, and she used her influence to access the bridge, where she demanded that the Captain do something.  He responded, “Ma’am, everything that can be done has been done. We are now in the hands of God; we can ONLY pray.”  Upon hearing that, she gasped: “Captain, has it come to that!”  Then she fainted in fear.

Prayer should never be a ‘last resort’ but the ‘initial reaction’ or ‘action.’  Prayer is not an ‘appeal’ to Heaven’s Supreme Court. It is a conversation with our LORD.  It is communion with God, not simply conforming to a Law.  It is not getting ‘from’ God. It is getting ‘to’ God.  Our problem, too often, is that we are so involved in the natural world that we do not avail ourselves to the spiritual world.  We can easily see the natural but are blind to the spiritual. 

Some seem to believe that while prayer is somewhat profitable, they are unconvinced about its power and vitality. Therefore, it occupies a relatively low position on their list of priorities.  It is more of a ‘break the glass in case of emergency’ endeavor than a daily and regular engagement.

We have more to say but will hold further thoughts until tomorrow. 

May God bless and be with you as you go through your day!

Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’” NASB

Some years ago, a person in the church I was leading said, “My Bible automatically opens to Jeremiah 33:3 now because Brother Beaird preaches so much from that passage.”  It is a passage that I refer to frequently because God has impressed upon me the need for and importance of prayer. 

Prayer is communication, petition, and a weapon of spiritual warfare spiritually.  It would be a tremendous understatement to say that ‘prayer’ is essential.  It is more than necessary in the Christian’s Life. It is critical.  I fully believe, and the Bible reveals, that prayer is one of a Christian’s greatest weapons. Yet, it is possibly the most misunderstood and underdeveloped weapon in our arsenal.

The Bible has much to say regarding the ‘mighty weapons’ at the disposal of the believer, including the myriad of references to prayer.

Luke 18:1 – “…men always ought to pray and not lose heart…” NKJV

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “…pray without ceasing…” NASU

Luke 11:1 – “…Lord, teach us to pray…” NASU

Matthew 6:9 – “In this manner, therefore, pray…” NKJV

Those are just a sampling of the multitude of references and calls to prayer in Scripture, and one would wonder why it is so ‘underutilized.’  Prayer is a vehicle or channel through which God has provided for mortal man to reach the eternal realm.  Prayer is one of the most talked about and least-done endeavors among professing Christians.  The writers of Scripture knew, understood, and utilized its power!

David – – “The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.”  (Psalm 6:9)

Solomon – – – “The Lord… hears the prayer of the righteous.”  (Proverbs 15:29)

Paul – – “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”  (1 Timothy 2:8)

James – – “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  (James 5:16)

Peter – – “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers.”  (1 Peter 3:12)

On one occasion, facing a situation that was shaking me to the core of my being, I was reading, and the Holy Spirit directed me to a passage in the Little Johns that grabbed my attention and inspired my faith and confidence.  It has become a fixture in my thought process and in my prayers.

1 John 5:14-15 – “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His Will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we asked of Him.”

Look at this promise of God!   If we ask according to His will, we are Heard.  If we are heard, He Answers, and we get what we ask.  How do you improve on that?  That is a catalyst to believing faith and directs prayer to first determining the will of God and then to doggedly stay with the request, knowing that no matter how things look around us or the circumstances, we are being Heard, and if we are being Heard He is Granting our petition.

Prayer was an essential part of every Mighty Man or Woman in Scripture and has been of every Mighty Man or Woman in history.  They understood that prayer bridges the gulf between time and eternity, and they engaged in that activity Until they touched God, and God touched them!

May God be with you as you go through your day and inspire you to PRAY!

Ephesians 6:2-3 – “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.”  NKJV

I was out just a few days ago and heard a child demanding a particular item from his mother.  When she resisted, he sat down on the floor and threw a temper tantrum, and she soon acquiesced and gave him what he wanted.  Later that same day, I was in a restaurant, and a father told his little girl to sit down and eat her food, and she told him, quite loudly and without any trepidation, “NO, and you can’t make me.”  He let her continue what she was doing.  I will not say I was shocked, but I thought back to my childhood and my parents’ response. 

You do not want to know because I probably would not have been able to sit down for a week.  They would have busted my rear end right then and there, and virtually nobody would have thought a thing about it but would have acknowledged approval for the discipline.  I respected my parents and knew there were boundaries that I had to stay within, or there would be consequences I did not desire.  My respect for them, their enforcement of discipline (consistently), and my love for them motivated me to do what they approved of when I was with them.  I confess I broke their rules when away from them, but I “honored them” while in their presence.

I blame the parents for not enforcing consistent discipline, society for adopting the ideology that discipline (biblical) cannot be used, and the children for being disrespectful.  My children will tell you that we did not allow them to pull the stunts mentioned above. 

In church, while preaching, my boys knew that if I snapped my fingers, it meant, “Stop what you are doing now.”  They may not remember how effective it was, but believe me, the consistent enforcement of discipline on that front made it an effective method of getting the desired and necessary response from them. 

I am reminded of one of the church members in one particular church telling the story of how their oldest son was acting, and the mother picked him up to take him out of the sanctuary and fully intended to give him a spanking.  As she went down the aisle, he said, where everyone could hear, “Somebody help me. This crazy woman is going to kill me.”  The entire church erupted, and she got so tickled that while she still disciplined him, she could not help but find it funny.

But, for all of us who have parents and or children, we should remember this verse and its additional benefit.  It refers to the Ten Commandments, and Paul says that “honoring your parents” carries the promise of long life on the earth.  Do I think that someone can honor their parents and die young? Of course, I do.

However, I also believe that many live long and fruitful lives based on this promise and truthful honoring of their parents.  My grandfather on my mother’s side was nine days short of being 101 when he went home to be with the Lord, and I know he honored his parents, as did his children, him, and my grandmother.  My mother lived to be 95 years of age.  I watched her honor her parents even after she was grown and with a family of her own.  It is more than just doing what they say. It is a mindset and attitude.  It is a relationship.  It is an expression of respect and love.  It carries with it a desire to please them biblically.

Disrespect is prevalent in today’s society. 

• We see disrespect in public. 
• We see it in homes. 
• We see it in schools. 
• We see it in every aspect of our society, and it goes beyond just honoring parents, but that is my focus here. 

The objective must be to get this part right, and I believe many other areas will harmonize with the biblical guidelines.  I am not suggesting that you use Proverbs 13:24 – “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him,” but it might be an excellent place to consider starting.  My dad could quote and believed an earlier verse in that chapter and practiced it.  Verse 14 – “You shall beat him with a rod and shall deliver his soul from hell.”  I am glad my parents disciplined me, and it did not make me a warped individual.  If I am warped, I did that on my own; their discipline did not cause it.

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Genesis 3:4 – “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.”  ESV

I often call Genesis the “Seed Book of the Bible” because, in the first twelve Chapters, you find the foundation for virtually everything taught in the remainder of the Bible.  If one were to get a good handle on those Chapters, I am confident that much of the deception that has and does take place would be thwarted, and we would see vast new doors of understanding opened to the Body of Christ.

Deception did not begin in the Garden of Eden. It started when Lucifer convinced one-third of the angelic hosts to rebel against God.  It was through deception that this transpired.  His work in the Garden is just a continuation of his very nature and character, and sadly, Adam & Eve bought what he was selling and were deceived. 

Their deception not only cost them but also the human race.  Had the Father not been willing to allow Jesus to come to earth and go to the Cross, we would still be in the clutches of the devil.  Deception has a consequence because it results in actions that, as Paul equates in Galatians, as “sowing,” which produces a “harvest” that has to be reaped whether we want to or not.

Deception comes when we fail to keep our hearts open to the Word and the Spirit of God.  It comes when we neglect our study of God’s Word and our prayer life.  It comes when we allow the flesh to rule over the spirit.  It comes when we allow the lust or carnal desires to override the spiritual directives of the Spirit and Word of God.  It comes when we become “self-centered” and dethrone God while elevating ourselves to the Center of our Universe as Adam & Eve did. 

In a sense, Adam and Eve voted God out and voted themselves in, and as one of my friends described it, “They were born again backward.”  They opted to believe The LIE rather than GOD, who is TRUTH.  They opted to follow their own carnal desires and wisdom (so-called) rather than be obedient.  The fruit could have been a bridge over a stream that God said, “Don’t cross.”  It did not matter. It was a matter of obedience, and they disobeyed because they were deceived.

I doubt that there has been a week in my Christian experience that I have not met and talked to someone who is in some deception in some area.  That is probably applicable to me as well. As the Holy Spirit reveals to me any place of deception in my life, I Immediately repent and begin diligent study to correct the error and become rightly aligned with the Word of God.  

Do I have all the truth?  NO!  Do I have all my doctrine right?  I Would say not likely!  I would like to think I do, but from time to time, I find that something I believe is not entirely accurate, and I have to allow my doctrine to be modified to accommodate what God says, not what I want God to say. 

I do not want to be like a preacher. I once heard, “I’ve been in the ministry for 30 years, and I have not changed my doctrine or message.”  I thought, I have! I would think that someone in that condition would rapidly become a Pharisee, and I was one once and never want to return to that place of legalism.  I want to be like a piece of clay in the hands of the potter to be molded and shaped into whatever He desires for my life. 

That has been an ongoing process, and what and where I am today has evolved dramatically in some areas and remained pretty consistent in others.  I know in part and have a limited perspective, but God sees everything from the beginning to the end, whereas we see things from the end to the beginning.  There is an enormous difference!  One is foresight, and the other is hindsight.

So, as you go through the day, allow the Holy Spirit to guide your footsteps and keep your heart and mind open to an expansion of truth in your life that God chooses to bring to you.  

Blessings as you go through your day!

Psalm 46:1-3 – “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.” NASB

I love this Psalm and this passage in particular.  The Psalmist is giving recognition to the Person, Power, and Provision of God.  He also addresses the wonderful confidence that because of God, the people of God will walk “fearless” no matter what transpires around them.  This is a wonderful, encouraging Psalm, but there is one thing said here that I want to focus on.

To get to that point, let me ask my title question again, “What kind of help truly helps?”  

• Promised help may not help if it does not come, comes with insufficient resources or commitment, or comes late. 
• Anticipated help may not produce the desired result and may, in fact, not come at all. 
• Past help will not do much for the present situation. 

The kind of help that the Psalmist described was the bedrock of his confidence.  God is a “very present help” in trouble.  Not just “help” but a “very present help.”  The image I want you to get in your mind is that God is both our refuge or place to run to in times of trouble and strength, the ability to overcome.  Then, couple that with the reality that He is our “very present help” in trouble, and you have reason to walk confidently.

• This is not “help” promised but might or might not show up. 
• This is not “help” that has been there in the past but is not presently visible. 
• This is not “help” that might be sufficient and might continue through the entire struggle. 

This is Now Help!  This is help when you need help for as long as you need help and to the degree you need help.  Our most significant problem is not the availability of God’s help but our ability or willingness to allow Him to provide that help.  We spend too much time getting in the way when we should follow His lead.  We spend too much time trying to handle it in our own understanding, power, or ability when we should trust His wisdom, power, and strength.

If there is one thing we, as believers, need to learn or relearn, it is to “stand still and see the salvation of God.”  It is to receive His Help!

• It may not come in the way we determined it should come. 
• It may not come at the time we believe it should come. 
• It may not come through the sources we determine it should come, but rest assured It Will Come! 

It will come not because God has helped but because GOD Is Our Present Help!  It is who God is, not just what God does.  It is not found in just God’s acts but in God’s ways.  It is His nature and character to be our HELP!

Let me speak a word of encouragement to you.  No matter your present struggle, God is your refuge, so run to Him.  God is your strength, so cast your care on Him.  God is your “very present help” in your time of distress!  Believe that, trust that, ask for that, and receive that.  I pray that you will recognize His helping hand and relax, resting in His promised provision. 

May the Lord bless you as you continue your day and week!  Blessings!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Please forgive me, but I am somewhat ignoring the entire context of this text to make a statement.  In verse eighteen, we read, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”   In Everything, Give Thanks…This is identified as God’s will!

Most of us will refer to the Pilgrims as initiating the ‘Feast of Thanksgiving.’ However, according to much documentation in history, they only did this the first year and did not systematically repeat it annually.  However, some more religious Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving with ‘prayer and fasting,’ not ‘feasting.’ 

I am aware of seven other nations that have an annual National Day of Thanksgiving: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Korea, Liberia, and Switzerland.  I do not know the extent or festivities of each of those, only that they have designated a particular day nationally. 

In 1777 when, General Washington and the troops, in incredibly horrible weather en route to Valley Forge, stopped in an open field to celebrate the 1^st Thanksgiving of the new United States of America, and in 1789, he declared November 26^th as a national day of ‘Thanksgiving and Prayer.’ 

During the 1800s, the Presidential Day of Thanksgiving ceased, and in 1863, Abraham Lincoln resumed the practice.  It was not until 1941that FDR established the 4^th Thursday in November as the National Thanksgiving Day, and now Colleges and the NFL have made it the National Day of Football Tailgate Parties.  (I say that tongue in cheek)

Although I am somewhat put off and have been for a long time with the commercialization of various holidays, I believe that true ‘Thanksgiving’ should certainly not be relegated to one particular day. However, every day, I still appreciate the National Day of Thanksgiving. 

In my formative years, it was a day in which the family gathered and enjoyed each other while feasting.  I dare say we did not express enough thanks for what we had, but I do believe that we recognized that without the hand of God, we would not have had the bounty we had.  Love was never lacking in our home, making this time of the year especially rewarding for me.  

I miss the family gatherings we had while Dad and Mother were alive living in East Texas.  Today, with the hectic schedules that most have and the fragmentation of families, it becomes more and more challenging to establish a tradition and have unique family gatherings as in days gone by.  Yet, we all can and should be Thankful for what we have, for we could have much less, even if we now have much less than we did in the not-too-distant past. 

I am ‘thankful’ for my relationship with God.  I am ‘thankful’ for my family.  I am ‘thankful’ for my health. Although I am not without some medical and physical problems. Overall, to the best of my knowledge, I am healthy.  I am ‘thankful’ for friends.  I am ‘thankful’ for my country and the freedoms we have and enjoy today. 

In short, I Am Thankful and will express that to God today, but I choose not to limit my Giving of Thanks to Thanksgiving Day. I know you share my sentiments if you are sick, wounded, lonely, or facing dire economic times. I pray that God grants you a miracle and that His presence will powerfully grace your home or abode today enabling you to look above and beyond your difficulties to His Awesomeness. 

God bless you as you celebrate this Day of Thanksgiving!

I recently made a statement about a “Pain-filled life” and was immediately asked, “What are you talking about?”  As I explained in some detail to the individual I was speaking to, it was like a light came on inside their head, and they realized that there was hope for their hopelessness.  It was a refreshing experience.

What I mean by “Pain Filled Life” is the kind of pain that expresses itself in the emotions, the mind, and the heart.  It is pain that is rooted in an event or an action by you or someone else.  There is a pain that comes from the wounds of others by their words and actions.

Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” NASB

This is a challenging passage for many.  Wounds are wounds, whether from a friend or an enemy.  Yet it has been my experience that when a friend hurts us, the agony is more intense than the wounds of a known adversary.  David expressed this pain in Psalm 41:9 – “Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.” NLT

Then, in Psalm 55:12-14 – “It is not an enemy who taunts me — I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me — I could have hidden from them.  13 Instead, it is you — my equal, my companion and close friend. 14 What good fellowship we enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God.” NLT

We expect an enemy or someone who is adversarial against us to attempt to inflict wounds but not our friends.  The weight of this disappointment brings heavy grief.  It shatters our sense of loyalty.  Our friend, a trusted companion, has unleashed these scathing barbs of accusation, and we are crushed. 

To wound is to injure, hurt, damage, impair, offend, or upset.  A wound is something that brings harm.  It is to damage in some fashion.  There is a measure of bruising to our ego or damage to our reputation. 

• Our integrity may be called into question, causing others to question our honesty or sincerity. 
• Our relationship may be strained severely or dissolved altogether. 

A wound is something that brings pain.  We are not speaking of physical wounds but emotional, mental, or spiritual wounds.  One significant danger in disagreements, whether inside or outside the church, is succumbing to a spirit of bitterness. 

What is bitterness?  It can be described with words such as resentment, anger, animosity, hostility, ill will, bad blood, lousy feelings, loathing, hatred, resentment, or antagonism.  It incorporates all of those but is a seething cauldron of animosity.  It is often coupled with an intense desire for revenge or so-called justice.  Not God’s justice but our brand. 

The account of John of Jesus coming to the lame man at the pool of Bethesda is an appropriate illustration for us to consider.  Look at the account:

John 5:2-9 – “Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. 3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [ waiting for the moving of the waters; 4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.] 5 A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”  7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”  9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.” NASB

We look at this event as observers, not as active participants.  Jesus asked this man who, deep inside, had resigned himself to being a cripple for the rest of his life.  After all, thirty-eight years is a long time for any condition to exist without the hope or much hope of a cure. 

Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well?”  WHAT?  Lord, this man is at the pool and has been there virtually every day for thirty-eight years; of course, he wants to get well.

The question of Jesus is penetrating.  It is designed to reveal faith or the absence thereof.  It is not asked to be mean or callous but to cause the man to shift his focus from his condition or present state to the state or condition of wellness or wholeness.  The man’s response is very revealing.  He does not answer the question.  He called attention to his condition and rapidly moved toward a “Woe Is Me” attitude.  Jesus, in His great mercy and compassion, did not wait for the man to continue; he healed him.

Sadly, many who are locked in their “Prison of Pain” fail to hear or focus on the question of the Holy Spirit regarding their situation.  The Holy Spirit is constantly asking, “Do you want to be free and get well?”  When conviction strikes our hearts, we tend to do as this man and Pharaoh with the frogs in Egypt.  We want to wait one more night or justify why we are harboring the grudge, holding on to the pain, and refusing to release it to God.  Oh, that we would hear and heed the voice of our compassionate Lord and Release the Pain into His hands.

One final passage helps to bring my point home:

Matthew 18:21-35 – “Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.  24 “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.  25 “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.  26 “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you everything.’  27 “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.  28 “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’  29 “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you.’  30 “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.  31 “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.  32 “Then summoning him, his lord said, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  33′ Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’  34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.  35 ” My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” NASB

Consider what the Lord has forgiven you and realize you can never afford to allow a wound or offense to live in your hearts.  If you want to leave your Prison of Pain, you must release the offense to the Lord.  I urge you not to wait another moment but to immediately take it to the Cross and roll it onto the Lord!  He will release you from Prison and enable you to walk into the fullness of life and freedom.

May God be with you as you go through your day in Him!