Whether talking with the disciples, speaking in a public forum, or defending Himself before His enemies, Jesus consistently asked questions.  In the four gospels, Jesus asked over 300 questions.

What do you want me to do for you?

And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”  And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him,“Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

Mark 10:46-52

When my kids were young toddlers, they often used temper tantrums to communicate their needs. Some days I was very patient and slowly figured out what they wanted or needed. On other days, their fits triggered something awful within me. After nothing seemed to quell their emotional state, I would bark something like, “I have no idea what you want from me!” Eventually, I would settle down and realize that they were wet or sleepy or hungry or sometimes on the verge of being physically sick. Their complete dependence upon me led them to come to me with their wants, even if they couldn’t utter them in words, just yet.

In Mark’s account, we find a man who knows that he cannot give himself what he most wants. When he hears that Jesus is walking by, he cries out to be heard by Him. I find it fascinating that even though Jesus already knows what this man needs, he asks Bartimaeus to state his request anyway. “Let me recover my sight,” he says to Jesus. In doing so, Bartimaues is forced to acknowledge his need as well as his faith in Jesus to satisfy it. Immediately, he is healed.

How many times do we remain silent before God instead of specifically asking Him for what we need? I know I sometimes do this because I am certain that he already knows what I need. Why do I need to ask Him out loud, if He already knows? I think to myself. But, like dependent children who may or may not be able to clearly communicate what we need, God invites us to identify and articulate what we need before Him and to trust that He can actually satisfy it.

Sometimes—like a little kid with arms crossed, head down, and heels dug in, I just don’t want to tell him what I want. What if He doesn’t want to give me what I want? If I don’t ask for it, then I protect my heart from having to hear what I hope to receive. While I may fool myself into saying that I am trusting Him for what is best, in actuality it is my pride that is keeping me from repeatedly returning to my God and humbly asking Him again and again. We are dependent upon the Father for all of our needs, whether we are willing to make a request to Him or not.

What do you want me to do for you? He is asking you this question right now. Speak out your needs to the Father even though He already knows your answer. And, then like Bartimaeus, walk away believing that He will always give you just what you need, even if it isn’t exactly what you had requested. Don’t you think that sometimes He is dying to give you what you want but is waiting for you to demonstrate your dependence by humbly coming before Him to present your requests? Find the words and tell him what you need.

Jackie