February 3

”And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic: Take heart, my son…” (Matthew 9:2)

The Bible passage today is strong encouragement for all of us who have people around us, for whom we regularly pray. It was when Jesus saw the faith of the friends of the paralytic that he started to talk with him. Maybe you have a child, a parent, a relative or a friend that you are praying for. Do you really believe and expect that Jesus actually will start talking to him or her? I strongly believe that when I pray for my friends, a divine channel opens up, a channel through which God can speak right into that person’s life. I often envision a free space above the person I am praying for – a space where the Holy Spirit can move and work freely.

Stephen Caldwell writes in an article: ”Faith is to trust that God will do what he has promised. Obedience is to back up this trust through action”.

Friends of the paralytic believed that Jesus could touch and heal him, they showed their belief with their action and God rewarded their faith. Sometimes, we too must obey that impulse, whether it says that we should call the person we are praying for or that we should do some other small act, which backs up our faith. And God will touch the person we are praying for in a wonderful way.

Prayer
Lord I trust You to hear my prayers. I trust that they will make way for Your words and Your love into people’s lives. But help me also to act in accordance with my faith when You remind me of something that You want me to do.