OUR LADY OF LOURDES (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

People brought to him a deaf man. 

If you were a movie director filming this scene, you might focus on Jesus and how amazing this miracle was. But a more interesting focus might be the people who brought the man to Jesus. What were they doing just moments before? You can imagine them learning that Jesus was in town. They lead their friend through the crowd, right up to Jesus. One of them gets down on his knees and pleads, “Jesus, I have heard that you can perform great miracles. Please, help our friend.”

A scene like that would highlight the fact that Jesus didn’t just walk up out of the blue and heal this man. His friends brought him to Jesus. Their faith gave them the courage to ask Jesus to heal him. We don’t know how much faith they had. The important thing is that it was enough to ask Jesus for help.

When you hear a miracle story like this, remember that it didn’t happen only because of God’s stupendous power. Certainly God can do incredible things beyond your power even to imagine (Ephesians 3:20). He is the One who heals; your faith doesn’t force his hand. But he does invite you to play a role in those miracles. He invites you to exercise your faith by bringing your needs to him. You don’t need extraordinary faith, just enough to trust the Lord and ask him to act.

Our heavenly Father loves it when we trust him. He wants to give his children good things—and not only good things. Sometimes he wants to give us miracles. So take him at his word! Ask him for the healing of a loved one. Ask him for your own healing. Ask him to intervene in a situation that seems hopeless. And leave the results to him, trusting that he will do what is best.

Most importantly, don’t think that your faith is too weak for God to care about you. Exercise the faith you have and believe that God can work. Keep asking him for what you need. It’s not that he requires your extra prayers to act—but you need them, to stretch your faith and to grow closer to him.

“Lord, I believe you can do the impossible. Please give me the faith to ask for it!”

1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19
Psalm 81:10-15
Mark 7:31-37