STOP DROP AND PRAY!!

Sermon Text: Mark 10:51What do you want me to do for you?
Sermon Title: Stop Drop and Pray
Introduction: It was the first century BC and a devastating drought threatened to destroy a generation, the generation before Jesus. The last of the Jewish prophets had died off nearly four centuries before. Miracles were such a distant memory that they seemed like a false memory. And God was nowhere to be heard. But there was one man, an eccentric sage who lived outside the walls of Jerusalem, who dared to pray anyway. His name was Honi.
When rain is plentiful, it’s an afterthought. During a drought, it’s the only thought. And Honi was their only hope. Famous for his ability to pray for rain, it was on this day—the day—that Honi would earn his moniker.
With a six-foot staff in his hand, Honi began to turn like a math compass. His circular movement was rhythmical and methodical…ninety degrees…one hundred and eighty degrees. He never looked up as the crowd looked on. After what seemed like hours, but had only been seconds, Honi stood inside the circle he had drawn. Then he dropped to his knees and raised his hands to heaven. With the authority of the prophet Elijah who called down fire from heaven, Honi called down rain.
“Lord of the Universe, I swear before your great name that I will not move from this circle until you have shown mercy upon your children.” The words sent a shudder down the spine of all who were within earshot that day. It wasn’t just the volume of his voice. It was the authority of his tone. Not a hint of doubt. His prayer was resolute yet humble; confident yet meek; expectant yet unassuming. Then it happened.
As his prayer ascended to the heavens, raindrops descended to the earth. An audible gasp swept across the thousands of congregants who had encircled Honi. Every head turned heavenward as the first raindrops parachuted from the sky, but Honi’s head remained bowed. The people rejoiced over each drop, but Honi wasn’t satisfied with a sprinkle. Still kneeling within the circle, Honi lifted his voice over the sounds of celebration.
“Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain that will fill cisterns, pits, and caverns.” The sprinkle turned into such a torrential downpour that eyewitnesses said no raindrop was smaller than an egg in size. It rained so heavily and so steadily that the people fled to the Temple Mount to escape the flash floods. Honi stayed and prayed inside his protracted circle. Once more he refined his bold request.
“Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain of Thy favor, blessing, and graciousness.”
Then, like a well-proportioned sun shower on a hot and humid August afternoon, it began to rain calmly, peacefully. Each raindrop was a tangible token of God’s grace.
Honi was celebrated like a hometown hero by the people whose lives he had saved. But some within the Sanhedrin called the Circle Maker into question. A faction believed that drawing a circle and demanding rain dishonored God. Maybe it was those same members of the Sanhedrin who would criticize Jesus for healing a man’s withered arm on the Sabbath a generation later. They threatened Honi with excommunication, but because the miracle could not be repudiated, Honi was ultimately honored for his act of prayerful bravado.
Point 1: Take off them Begging Clothes vs. 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
The first thing Blind Bartimaeus did is take off his begging attire before he approached Jesus. Beggars wore the garments of beggars…


Notice that’s what the people told Bartimaeus in vs. 49 So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” They all know life is about to change for Bartimaeus and his friends. When he recognizes it he throws off his begging clothes. And he does two other things that involve prayer.
(a) He approaches Jesus. You must approach Jesus. You cannot stay at a distance and pray to Jesus.
(b) He comes into Jesus presence. Prayer is coming into the presence of Jesus. Shutting other distractions out and making Jesus your focal point. It’s not a rush in hit or miss event. It emanates from the level of the relationship. Good relationships require you to stop drop what you are doing and pray.
Point 2: Speak Up, He Can’t Hear You vs. 51”What do you want me to do for you”
Seriously Jesus? Is that question even necessary? Isn’t it obvious what they want? They’re blind. Yet Jesus forced them to define exactly what they wanted from Him…
1. Don’t just read the Bible. Start circling the promises.
2. Don’t just make a wish. Write down a list of life goals.
3. Don’t just pray. Keep a prayer journal.
4. Define your dream.
5. Claim your promise
6. Spell your miracle.
Point 3: Promises, Promises vs. 52 Go, “said Jesus, “your faith has healed you” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
bold prayers honor God and God honors bold prayers. Praying for a parking space close to the Mall entrance shrinks God down to an inconsequential size.
Story:
I remember when I was in the Air Force stationed at Hancock Field in Syracuse, NY. Since I was from North Carolina, we drove 95 South through Richmond, Virginia to go home for the holidays. Every year I would see Virginia Union University Seminary exit sign. Since I could remember I always wanted to attend seminary. I prayed with persistence that God would orchestrate my life so I could go to that seminary. In nine years of praying persistently to go to Virginia Union. God miraculously used a base closure, me failing to get promoted and an assignment away from my family for one year to get me to that seminary. Hancock Field closed by order of Congress. I was reassigned to Griffiss AFB, Rome, New
York a few miles north. The supervisors were extremely racist and made sure I would not get promoted to the easiest rank in the AF to make – captain. This caused a delay in a new assignment to Germany. I was miraculously promoted six months later and assigned to Osan AB Korea for one year. That assignment made it possible for me to be assigned to Hampton, Virginia where I was able to commute to Seminary for its nontraditional 1 hour weekend program. No other sequence of events could have gotten me to Virginia. Had I gone to Germany, it would have been for three years. Prayer ordered each step. I was persistent because I knew the call on my life needed seminary to fulfill God’s plan for me. I could demand it because I knew I would be used to minister to marginalized people.
Conclusion: If you believe this word I want you to do a “prayer experiment.”
(1) It’s as simple as picking a time and a place, and then identifying something or someone that you are going to pray for daily for 21 days. The goal isn’t to force God’s hand and make Him answer your prayer within your 21-day timeline. The goal is to establish the habit of, praying, drawing prayer circles like Honi and putting a demand on God.
(2) Attend at 6:30 or tune in via streaming live at 7:30 the next four Wednesday LC@AL Life Changing @ Another Level
(3) Dial in to First Lady and me conference prayer every Wednesday 7:15AM to 7:30AM. How to do it and get your prayer request in before is found in your bulletin.
(4) Do everything possible not to miss the next four Sundays and bring a person with you who needs and perhaps have lost hope in God and the power of prayer.