'If you knew'

"If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water" (John 4:10).

If you and I knew who Jesus was-really, really knew-would we pray differently? Wouldn't it expand our imagination? Isn't this what Jesus is saying to this Samaritan woman he has struck up a conversation with at the well: "Lady, if you really knew who you were talking to here, you and I wouldn't be wasting our time in theological debate; you would be inundating me with requests for all your spiritual needs"?

My dullness about God tends to fall along two lines: Dullness about how powerful he wants to be in our lives and dullness about how involved he wants to be in our lives. I act as if forgiveness of sins is His entire gift, and not also the breaking of bondages, the bending of impossibilities, and the undoing varieties of the devil's handiwork (1 John 3:8). He commended people who gave Him no rest in these concerns.

Two blind men gave Him no rest. They cried out to Jesus, and not only did He ignore them, He walked into someone's house. They had to barge in after Him before they got satisfaction (Matthew 9:27-31).

The Syrophoenician woman gave Him no rest. She begged to the point of harassment, and Jesus gave her no encouragement. But she would not be put off until she got satisfaction (Mark 7:24-30).

Maybe Jesus was waiting to see how badly they wanted what they wanted, and how strongly they believed He was both merciful and able.

What is it that you wished for today that you kept to yourself and didn't even think to pray for because you didn't believe God would be willing to grant it?

Listen to commentaries by Andrée Seu.