What Do You Want?

So, Jesus answered and said to him, What do you want Me to do for you? The blind man said to Him, Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.  Then Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has made you well. And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. 

Mark 10:51-52 

Christ asks questions to elicit a particular response from us. When Bartimaeus stood before Him, He asked a straight-forward question, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ He was not seeking information. It was manifestly clear he was blind. Christ could have simply addressed his blindness without the question. He gave Bartimaeus the opportunity to articulate his desire. This touches upon our relationship with Christ. He has, in a sense, asked us, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ Being God, He is already more fully aware of what we need than we are. He has the power to meet the need without our asking. Instead, He gives us the opportunity to articulate our desires to Him. This is a blessed privilege. There is a wonderful satisfaction in approaching the Throne of Grace, armed with our petitions and laying them out before Him. He wants us to answer the question, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ This can be an everyday occurrence for us. He has said, ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ We have every reason to come before Him with confidence, because He would not ask us what we want Him to do for us if He did not have the intention of answering us according to our asking. He loves to hear and loves to answer.  

Our Gracious God and our Savior, 
we rejoice that You know our needs. 
We praise You that You give us the opportunity to 
set our needs before You, that You may hear and answer prayer. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning