A desperate atheist was praying out loud at the Wailing Wall in Israel: “God, I don’t believe in you. As far as I know you don’t exist. But I do feel something. So if I am making a mistake, God, I have no quarrel against you. It’s just that I don’t know that you exist. But God, just in case you’re really there and I am making a mistake, get me an introduction.” Just as he finished his prayer, a listener startled him by tapping him on the shoulder and offering to teach him about God. Blind Bartimaeus didn’t need anybody to introduce him to Jesus. We read in Mark Chapter 10 that as pilgrims were leaving Jericho on their way to Jerusalem, he heard that Jesus was in the crowd. So he began to shout “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” People in the crowd told him to be quiet, but in desperation, he kept shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and called him, asked him what he wanted. The blind man did not ask for alms, his desperate plea was “I want to see!” Jesus answered his prayer and healed him. He was so grateful, he chose to follow Jesus. Our Lord still hears the cries of desperate people. And when He answers our prayers He wants us to follow, love, and obey Him.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
