How do we ask God for help? What are some effective methods of asking God
for help, through prayer?
Welcome to Faith and Soul Care. I’m Sherry Elaine, and today we’re beginning a new series called How to Ask God for Help? Effective Prayer Methods.
In this series, we’ll walk through how to approach God honestly and
practically—when we’re overwhelmed, confused, anxious, or just unsure of what
to say.
We’re going to explore the way Jesus responded to people who came to Him
for help, and we’ll also learn prayer methods that are simple and powerful.
Today, we begin with the story of a man who came to Jesus desperate and
with bold faith. This man also had no
backup plan—His story shows us that a special consideration in asking God for
help is to discern how it is that we approach Him.
[You can always listen to the blogposts on the go at the Faith & Soul Care podcast or below:]
The Scripture
The passage I am sharing now comes from Mark 1:40–45, and we are
going to listen from a reading from the New American Standard version:
“And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees
before Him, and saying, ‘If You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Moved with
compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I
am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, and He said to him,
‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and
offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ But he
went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such
an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in
unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.”
Notice the Leper's Approach & the Elements of the Request
The first thing to notice here - is the leper’s approach. We are going to find
that this is the most common approach that people who were healed by Jesus
modeled for us: Mostt importantly, he
doesn’t beg or demand – although the word beseeching can make it sound like
pleading or begging – it’s the words that are important. The leper states his faith (his belief plus
his trust) – and he respects the will and the decision of how Jesus will
respond. He comes to Jesus, humbly and
demonstrating faith (and we’ve learned in previous episodes that faith is
belief + trust); and the leper makes his request
He doesn’t bring a well-crafted prayer.
He doesn’t try to earn Jesus’s approval and doesn’t try to barter or make
promises.
He just kneels down, honestly and humbly, and says, “If You are willing, You
can make me clean.”
And the way he does this, he has implemented 3 of the 4 steps of the 4
step effective prayer method that I’ve been teaching for a long time.
First – he comes before Jesus with a sense of honor – he kneels in a
position of worship – so he enters the conversation with Jesus recognizing that
Jesus is to be honored and worshiped
Second – He makes his request
And third – He does not demand an outcome; but he readily states that he
knows it will need to be within Jesus’s willing – he says, “If you are
willing…”
And that is important part of effective prayer – we have to come with
faith – the Bible teaches – and what is faith? There was a prior teaching on
this – faith is a combination of belief + trust. It’s not just cognitive assent – not just
belief; it’s belief with trust – and here the man states his belief and also
states and demonstrates his trust – if you are willing – you can… he knows that
what Jesus wills is what will be and he accepts Jesus’s determination.
And the passage goes on to tell us that Jesus is moved—not just
emotionally but physically. The word used here means that Jesus experienced a
feeling deep in his inner being – he had compassion for the man – he had pity
on Him. So Jesus reaches out and touches him—something no one else would do—and
says, “I am willing. Be cleansed.”
And in this case, the man is healed immediately.
But then… Jesus says something surprising.
“Don’t tell anyone.”
Now, at first, this doesn’t make much sense. Wouldn’t Jesus want people
to hear about this miracle? Wouldn’t that bring more attention to His teaching?
But when the man tells everyone anyway, a problem arises: the crowds
become so overwhelming that Jesus can’t even enter towns openly anymore. His
ability to teach the message of the Kingdom is hindered.
Scholar Dr R.A. Cole explains the reasoning behind this very well…so
instead of me trying to explain, I am going to read his words. He writes:
“Christ never desired men to be drawn to follow Him simply in hopes of
material and bodily benefits. Unwise witness to a physical healing would
attract others from wrong motives... He has compassion on the sick... but He
withdraws Himself when the throng of those seeking healing becomes too great,
for this makes His teaching ministry… impossible. He was primarily Teacher, not
Healer.”
Jesus didn’t want people coming just to get something.
He wanted people coming to learn
something—to learn the truth about how we can be reconciled with God and the
truth about the nearness of God’s Kingdom.
Reflection & Application:
There’s something else important here.
Jesus didn’t go around looking for people to heal. He went about His
day—teaching, praying, moving from place to place—and He healed those who came
to Him.
That pattern still applies today.
God’s Spirit is near, but He typically waits for us to come to Him and
ask.
He rarely forces Himself into our lives—He waits to be invited. Scripture
tells us:
“The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those
whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” – 2 Chronicles 16:9
So, let’s ask some heart-level questions:
- Do you go to God regularly, even
daily, to ask for His guidance, comfort, and wisdom?
- Do you invite Him into the
specific places where you feel overwhelmed or unsure?
- Are there changes you need to
make in how you approach Him?
If your answer is “not really” or “not often,” don’t feel shame. This is your invitation to begin again—just like the leper. Come respectfully. Come humbly. Come with belief and with trust.
More Resources - Fall Women's Connection Cohort | Books
If this episode stirred something in you—and you want more of God’s
presence and wisdom in your everyday life—I want to share a few resources
available. First, I personally invite you to join my next Faith & Soul
Care Cohort for Women.
It’s guided online small group where we meet at least 3
times over 5 weeks to learn and practice spiritual rhythms together—things like
prayer journaling, releasing stress through somatic practices and pouring out
anxious and negative thinking and then filling up with God’s promises and
truth. Together we encourage each other and grow closer to God in simple,
joy-filled ways. The purpose of the cohort is to help those who are desperate
for more of Jesus to develop habits that stick to spend more time with Him. It
is said it takes 21 days for new habits to form and stay – and so this is
definitely enough time to establish an ongoing and lasting practice of drawing
closer to Jesus.
The next round of the cohort begins in September, right after Labor
Day, and registration will open soon at SherryElaine.com/cohorts. If you’re
on my email list, you’ll be the first to know when the doors open—so make sure you’re subscribed!
And in the meantime, if you are looking for some resources between now
and the time the next cohort starts – you may visit SherryElaine.com/books to
explore some of the resources we’ll be using in the cohort. Two books to start
with are:
- Closer to God: Simple Methods Starting Today – A short, simple and practical guide to help you begin soul care
rhythms in your real life.
- The Words of Jesus Bible Study – A workbook-style journey
through all of Jesus’s teachings in Matthew and Mark. It includes 70 short
lessons—usually 1 to 3 pages each. And by the end, you’ll not only
understand Jesus better, but you’ll carry His words and truths with you
throughout your day.
And One of the main truths Jesus wanted us to know is this:
The Kingdom of God is near, and God is near to us every single day.
So listen, you don’t have to figure this out alone.
And I’d be honored to walk alongside you.
Gratefully,
Sherry