Unexpected Ways of Answering Prayer

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Mark 7:31-37

Mark 7:33-34

And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. ³⁴ And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

(ESV)

James 5:16 reminds believers to pray for each other and reminds us that prayers are effective.  However, it is not the selection of words, the emotional manner with which one prays, or the eloquence of prayers that make them effective but the power of God that answers them.  There is, therefore, no need to be afraid of praying to God for he wants to hear from us.  Prayer is an immense privilege for it is how men and women who have sinned (Romans 3:23) communicate with their creator God with God promising to answer our prayers and share His wisdom with us (Jeremiah 33:2-3).  However, how God answers our prayer is not the same each time. 

After leaving Tyre where Jesus cast the demon out of the daughter of the Syrophoenician Woman, Jesus travels through Sidon to the Decapolis region of the Sea of Galilee.  Once again, the word of Jesus’ arrival spreads prompting people to bring a deaf and mute man to Jesus.  The people ask Jesus to lay His hand on the man so he can recover his hearing and ability to speak (Mark 7:31-32).  However, instead of laying His hand upon the man, Jesus takes him aside, puts his fingers in his ears, and after spitting, touches his tongue.  Jesus then looks up to heaven and says “be opened” and the man’s hearing and ability to speak are restored (Mark 7:33-35).  Jesus then charges the man to tell no one what has just happened, but the more Jesus tells him to be quiet, the more he zealously proclaims what as happened causing amazement by the people in the city (Mark 7:36-37). 

This text teaches us that,

1)      Jesus has compassion for the man (Mark 7:31-33) – Perhaps weary from ministering in Tyre, Jesus does not hesitate to stop and minister to the deaf man.  Jesus, the tireless servant does not back off from the need to minister to those in need. 

2)      Jesus does not minister to the man like the people expected Him to (Mark 7:33-35) – Jesus as God could have just laid hands on the man and restored his ability to hear and speak.  However, had he done this the crowd would have begun praising God and denied the man the opportunity to proclaim what God had done for Him.  By healing the man in private, any public proclamation of what God had done would come from the deaf man Jesus healed. 

3)      Even a charge by Jesus to remain silent could not prevent the man from proclaiming what Jesus did (Mark 7:36-37) – While Scripture does not tell us how long this man had been deaf and unable to speak, the man could not keep silent once Jesus heals him and he can speak.  While it looks like the man disobeyed Jesus by not remaining silent about the miracle Jesus did in his life, it is also possible that Jesus is testing the man to see if he will fearlessly proclaim what God has done in his life.  If the later is the case, the man passes the test by fearlessly proclaiming his testimony of healing knowing he may suffer opposition from the Romans and religious leaders opposing Jesus. 

God, the almighty creator of the universe wants us to call out to Him (Jeremiah 33:2-3).  We must not take this privilege lightly for it is this calling out to God that helps us understand the wisdom of what God says through His Word (2 Peter 1:21).  However, how God answers our prayers is according to His will.  In the text of Mark 7:31-37, Jesus does not publicly lay hands on the man in front of the crowd but privately heals the man so he can speak and declare what God has done in his life. 

The greatest work God does in one’s life is restoring the relationship that was broken in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3).  This required God sacrificing His only son for our sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).  If you have not already done so, I invite you to pray with me now and restore your broken relationship with God,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Now that your relationship with God is restored, God wants to hear from you and share His wisdom with you (Jeremiah 33:2-3).  This happens through prayer where we thank God for what he has done and make our concerns and problems know to Him.  Granted, God already knows our concerns and problems but He wants to hear us give these concerns to Him.  God shares His wisdom with us through the study of His Word.  Study of the Bible begins by opening the book and reading it and through finding a church or Bible study to help us understand what we are reading.  Finally, we must always remember that God hears our prayers and will answer them but maybe not when or in the manner we expect.  May God bless everyone reading this.