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So they removed the stone.

And Jesus raised His eyes, and said,

“Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.”

~ John 11:41

 

Good morning dear sister!

God has 3 special words for you today! 

I hear YOU.* 

In the Scripture scenario above, Martha and Mary are standing at the grave site of their brother Lazarus. This family was close friends with Jesus, and heard many testimonies regarding His miracles. As Lazarus lay sick, they sent a message to their wonder working Friend to come help, but Jesus did not arrive on the scene until Lazarus lay dead for four days.

It is a sad time. Even Jesus wept. But then He does a strange thing; Jesus tells the men to remove the stone from the cave opening! Lazarus’ sisters remonstrate, (‘by now he stinketh’ **). Nevertheless, the stone is rolled away. Jesus begins to pray out loud. He prayed loud enough that all could hear His thanksgiving to His Father, Who always hears Him!

Jesus commands Lazarus to come out!

God proves He has heard Jesus’ prayer when Lazarus comes, presumably shuffling because of the hindrance of his grave clothes, out of the tomb! The witnesses are so astounded that Jesus has to tell them to free their brother/friend from his bindings!

This is an amazing and wonderful testimony and as we contemplate it, the more enriching it becomes to our faith! What are some of the principles that our Abba wants us to learn from it?

The first phrase that stuck out to me this time is “so they removed the stone”. 

The stone was an obstacle to the answer of that prayer. We may wonder, if God can give life back to a man who has been dead for four days, why didn’t He add to the miracle even more by rolling the stone away Himself?

Perhaps one answer is that God encourages us and builds up our faith when our obedience to His instruction brings forth the good fruit of answered prayer! Lazarus might never have come out apart from the obedience of those stone removers!

Could it be that sometimes our prayers are heard, but not answered because of our unwillingness to remove an obstruction?

Once the stone was rolled away, Jesus offered up a prayer to God, His Father. He didn’t keep His request in His mind in a moment of silence. He didn’t even whisper, but spoke out loud with authority and assurance! He wanted those gathered to hear Him, teaching them that the Father always hears and answers the prayers of His children!

Such blessed assurance! How could He be so confident? He was confident because He knew who He was in His Father’s eyes. He was confident because He had come to do his Father’s will, never straying to the right or the left. He was confident in knowing that His Abba loved Him and was always with Him even as He walked the dusty roads of this earth.

We need to be that confident too!  We are one with the Lord if His Holy Spirit lives inside of us! Say that again out loud to yourself… I am one with the Lord if His Holy Spirit dwells in me! 

I wonder if we kind of forget that sometimes. There have been times when I have felt like I couldn’t even speak to that stone, let alone what is behind it. The truth is there is nothing in me that has the power to move even a tiny pebble ! Only in God!

We have to abandon our own thoughts and lean into God’s will, not our own. We must take care to not confuse ‘common sense’ for discernment of His plan. We have to be careful not to judge, but simply to trust in the power and magnificence of our Abba and let Him work without our ‘helpful hints’. 

The Lord hears our prayers! When we’re confused, He will give clarity. When we are afraid, He will give us strength. When we have no words, He hears the cry of our hearts. 

The next time you are praying for yourself or someone else, confront that stone that needs to be rolled away first, whether it’s a pebble of discouragement or a mountain of disease. Then, in the power of Jesus’ name, you can speak life in your prayer! 

Your Father is listening! 

Please pray with me!

Abba Father, Thank you for the love, compassion and mercy You show us every day!! As we grow in praying for each other, may your Holy Spirit be an ever louder voice over all of our concerns. Help us to remove the stone of our common sense and replace it with trust in Your infinite wisdom! May our mortal flesh be perfectly submitted to You so that Your will may be made known to us and accomplished through us, to Your glory! Amen!

Keep loving Jesus and moving forward!

Much love from, your sister, Celeste

*Psalm 34:17

**John 11:39 KJV