Who is This? Part 2 – Luke 8:22-25

“Who then is this…?”

This question was the disciples’ response to Jesus calming the storm. It is a critical question that every person needs to ask, because the answer to this question determines to whom you surrender, whom you believe, and ultimately, your eternal fate. 

Jesus is the God who listens. Overwhelmed by the storm, the disciples prayed to Jesus to help them. Jesus- who slumbered through the storm- woke up hearing His disciples’ cries. 

Prayer is a significant gift of God. We are always under Jesus’ radar. Through prayer, we experience His presence. As we face many challenges in this perishing world- pride, pain, worries, death- we need to pray.

What hinders us from praying? Or in other words, why is prayer so hard, even when we know we must pray?

• Pride. Why didn’t the disciples pray earlier? Since most of them were experienced fishermen, they might have thought that they could handle the storm themselves. We must examine ourselves when we become prayerless. We overcome pride by trusting God through prayer.
• Entitlement. As Jesus’ followers, the disciples could have felt entitled to be helped by God even without praying. We must not overlook the fact that prayer is a personal expression of love. If we love someone, we always want to communicate with them. Feeling entitled to God’s help because of your background or because of another’s intercessory prayer hinders personal communion with God.
• Lack of knowledge of God. If the disciples knew Jesus and feared Him, they would have prayed earlier. Our prayer is a reflection of our knowledge of God. As you know God more, the nature, depth, and power of your prayers will grow. The best way to know God is to study and meditate on the Bible.
• Unanswered prayer. We must not forget that God has given us Jesus Christ, who is the source of everything. If you were to gain everything, but did not have Christ, what good is anything? Do not be swayed by unanswered prayer. If you have Jesus, He is everything you need. Just as the disciples needed Jesus alone in the boat, so do we. Our attitude must be- whatever happens, we will obey.

Do not take the work of Christ lightly. He died to have a deep relationship with us through prayer. Jesus wants every believer to be victorious to the end. We overcome by trusting God through prayer. 

Who then is this? Jesus is the God who hears prayer.