Matthew 8:1-3 (NIV 2011)

1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

Reflection:

The man with leprosy dared to be bold. He made quite a bold statement to Jesus. And his boldness mixed with faith resulted in more than just the healing of the body, but an affirmation of his faith because Jesus was willing. How sweet are His words, how kind is our Lord towards us!

Response:

We can be encouraged by the man’s example and be bold ourselves in approaching the Lord. Whatever weighs most heavily on our hearts, let’s turn to the Lord and boldly make our request in prayer. Whether God answers now, tomorrow or within a longer timeframe, let’s receive in faith that He hears us and He is willing.