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Writer's pictureDeborah

From Death to Life

Series: Flowers in the Desert



*John 11:40

John 11:38-44 ESV


The tumbleweed is an interesting desert plant. It forms a ball and the wind blows it here and there. It’s a desert weed that forms a ball, but is it alive or is it dead?


Research shows tumbleweed can come back to life.


In scripture the story of Martha and her brother Lazarus who had been in the grave for days tells us even after Jesus told them to roll back the Martha said it was too late. She believed he was dead and he would not live again. She believed he had been dead for too long and his body was decomposing. To her, that meant it was too late.


But the story of Lazarus is more that a story about what Martha believed.


It’s a story about friendship and love.


It’s a story about redemption.


It’s a story about what we believe…really believe in what God can do.


It’s a story about connecting with God and being able to receive what God has for you.


John 11:38-44 says, “Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”


I love the part in John 11:41 where Jesus thanked God, especially thanking the Father (Papa) for confirming that he heard Jesus’ request.


Notice prior to that statement, Jesus had already gone to the cave where his dear friend Lazarus was laid.


In John 11:40 Jesus spoke specifically to Martha and told her, “Did I not tell you if you believed you would see the glory of God?”


That was just after she reminded Jesus her brother Lazarus had been dead for days and his body would be decayed.


I envision Jesus making eye contact with Martha. I’m not talking about a casual glance. The look I’m talking about would have been deep into her soul.


I think His look would have pierced her heart.


So…back to verse 41 where Jesus thanked God for hearing His request.


We notice Jesus didn’t say thank you for answering his request.


The Greek translation says thank you that You heard. The Greek word for ‘you have heard’ is

‘ ekousas’. When I read the sentence in the original language I have a sense that ‘ekousas’ is an announcement.


In other words, You HEARD me and so we can proceed with this.


I’m reminded when I was young I thought I knew something about prayer. While I did know something, I can see now that I knew very little. I can see that because I’ve spend a lifetime studying prayer. Even so, I know I’ve just scratched the surface.


I came to a point after my dad was gone that I realized how little i really knew about talking to God.


I wrote a book when I was forty about prayer and it became apparent I knew very little.


So I read every book I could get my hands on about prayer.


I went to special prayer meetings at other churches. I went to many different kinds of churches to pray with them.


Then in my fifties I had the opportunity to attend a series of classes on Listening Prayer. It was there that I realized the element I’d been looking for. I’d knew there was something more, and I came to realize that prayer is not a one way street.


I had been sensing for years there was something missing. It was the listening part.


It’s the part where we ask and then we wait.


We wait and we listen.


It’s the ekousas.


It’s the part in John 11:41 where Jesus told His Papa, You heard me and I got the nod so I’m going to proceed.


See, when we ask and then wait and listen, a real connection is made. A heavenly connection is made. Once we hear God’s response, we know what we didn’t know.


We’ve ceased to bark out an order to God.


We ask…please God? And then we wait for the response.


That’s where prayer becomes a two way street. Please understand I’m not saying God doesn’t listen when we read through a list. God always listens. I’m saying when we listen we connect to the heart of God. I’m saying we can know God’s next move.


In the case of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, He got the ‘go ahead’ message from God the Father. God the Father was saying, “okay Son, let’s do this.”


That was the missing link I searched for. I didn’t want to simply tell God what I wanted.


I really really wanted to know if it was what God wanted as well.


So now, I ask and I wait. I listen for the heart of God to speak. Sometimes listening can take months, but it’s worth the wait.


Connecting to the heart of God and knowing what God wants IS worth the wait!


Spiritual Practice: Ask


Then listen.


In God, Deborah


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