By Muoka Lazarus

Matthew 20:29-34 says, “And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.

*Pastor LAZARUS MUOKA

And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.  So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.”

Those that would prevail in prayer must be specific in their demands. Whenever we come to the Lord, it is of importance that we should be definite in whatever we are asking from Him.

Some people approach God with multitude of demands without faith and in some cases may not remember exactly what they have asked, and because they couldn’t remember, they therefore would not know when the Lord has given answer to them. Sometimes, these people may shout, cry, complain and repeatedly make prayers but will not get answer.

Those who did same in the Bible days were challenged by the Lord to be specific in their requests. The Lord says you should stop rambling and murmuring during prayer, you should not fill up your prayers with complain, grumbling, shouting and etc but specifically tell Him what you want Him to do for you.

In the context above, the Lord knew that these people were blind, yet He asked them ‘what will ye that I shall do unto you?  Which means He wanted to know the definite problem they were asking Him to remove?  And it was not until they specified their need that the Lord intervened.

The Lord is in the same vein asking you that is reading this message today ‘what shall I do for you now the year is coming to an end? What is it that you want the Lord to do for you, which when it is done you will remember and glorify Him.

John 4:46-53 says, “So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.  And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend.

And they said unto him, yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.”

This is another case of a noble man who did not beat about the bush but was very direct in asking the Lord what should be done for him. Being specific enabled him to remember what he has asked, the time he made the prayer and when the answer was given he did not forget who gave the answer and who would be given the glory, for he knew nothing else could have healed his child except the intervention of the Lord.

The child may not know the source of the power that healed him but the father knew there was no coincidence, and it was the prayer he made that was answered by whom he made it to. It could not be pretended that there was any collusion. The father came in deep anxiety to Jesus, made specific request with faith, thus he kept the time the prayer was made.

Many who tend to share the glory of answered prayers to human beings do so because they prayed in multitude of words and knew not when the prayer was made and who answered the prayer. That is why the Lord is telling you today, don’t be like those people rather make definite your prayer and He will answer you.

Prayers are answered when they have focus and are distinctly directed to needs. We should further understand that in praying we communicate with a superior Being that listens to and answers our prayers.  When you pray therefore, pray with faith and know it that you are talking to a Revered Being and not the Pastor or any other human being.

Psalm 50:15 says, “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me”

The Lord urges you to make your prayer in the time of trouble when you will remember vividly what to ask and the specific answer you expected, so that when it comes you will not forget the source and give the glory of the answered prayer to another. God withholds from them that ask not specific things, lest he should give to them that desire not and as a result will not glorify Him.

Psalm 86:5-7 says, “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. 6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.”

When we pray it must be that we mean to pray, not because we are so fascinated by it but because we really, indeed, and of a truth, find it to be a practical and effectual means of obtaining help from God in the hour of need. There can be no reason for praying if there be no expectation of the Lord’s answering.

Psalm 145:18-19 says, “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.”

When you make definite prayers, He will answer but when your request is confusing and you are saying many things at a go and never bothering to check that you are not living in sin, God will not answer.

The Lord is saying that you make many prayers without any point or justification, you pray often without repentance, you make many prayers but what matters is the kind of heart or mind with which such prayers are made, the attendant faith and content of such prayers are important. If you can call upon the Lord and identify the problems when making prayers, the Lord will give answer to your prayers.