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Acts 3:16b ... faith in His [Jesus'] Name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
This devotion pairs with this weekend's Lutheran Hour sermon, which can be found at LHM.org.
This once crippled, but now healed man mentioned in Acts 3, got more than he bargained for. Read Acts 3 and you'll notice that he wasn't asking to be healed. He wasn't looking to be saved. He certainly wasn't expecting to be enlisted in a movement to bring about the new creation. He just wanted some spare change, maybe get a free lunch out of the deal. But, by faith in Jesus, he is swept up in a miracle and a dangerous, high-stakes, exhilarating mission that will stretch them all past their breaking point, demanding of them beyond what they could have managed on their own, ultimately unleashing God's healing for the whole creation—blessing and joy and praise beyond knowing. But it started with just a request for a little help.
And maybe that's all you need from Jesus today. Just a little help. A little extra money. An answered prayer that you'll get better or feel better. Some wisdom for a difficult decision.
Whatever it is that you're asking of Jesus, or of His people, it's probably too small. And mixed in, you're probably asking for the wrong things, or the right things in the wrong proportion, or at the wrong time, or for the wrong reasons. But that's okay. It's just a starting point. Jesus will take you wherever you are. So, whatever it is, go ahead, ask it. You can trust Jesus to take care of it, in His time, in His way.
Because He cares for you. He loves you. He created you and died and rose again for you, lives and reigns and will return for you. And in the meantime, He has all the resources, all the connections, all the power to help, heal, save, and make new—materially, spiritually, relationally—and He promises to do just that in God's time, to free you from sin and evil, to align you fully with God's will, to make you like Him in His death, so that you will, one day, share in His resurrection, in His life and perfect health.
So, ask Him—ask Him for whatever you think might help today. And realize that what you are getting in Him, in this Person, this Friend, this Mentor, King, and a Brother with a story like no other, Jesus will be more than you bargained for.
WE PRAY: Dear Jesus, I know that this is probably too small to ask of You, but I'll go ahead and ask it anyway. Would You, please __________? Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour.
Reflection Questions:
1. Is there anything you pray for that might seem too small to someone if you told them about it?
2. Does the invitation to pray for small things make you feel embarrassed, emboldened, loved, or something else?
3. How have you seen God's answers to small prayers lead to a bigger impact?
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