November 24, 2024
" And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform."
- Romans 4:21 (KJV)
Persuasion entails the art of influencing someone’s beliefs, attitudes, intentions, or behaviours through communication, reasoning, or emotional appeal. When you are persuaded, you move from a position of uncertainty to accepting and embracing the idea, perspective, or course of action. If a friend persuades you to try a new hobby, it means their enthusiasm and reasoning have influenced you to give it a try, even if you were hesitant or uninterested before. To be persuaded is to have absolute faith in what you believe in without any element of doubt. This kind of resolution does not consider what people say, feel or who is watching.
In Mark 5:25-29, we see a peculiar case of healing wherein the woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and she was made whole. This woman was so persuaded that one touch from Jesus was all she needed to perfect her healing. One fact about this miracle is that she was amid a multitude of people who were thronging Jesus, and multiple people must have had physical contact with Jesus at that time.
Never appear before the Lord without persuasion.
None was recorded to have been ‘accidentally’ healed just for pressing together with Jesus. For emphasis, the word thronging typically describes a situation where a crowd of people is assembling or pressing together in a particular place. That was why the disciples were surprised in Mark 5:31 when Jesus asked ‘’who touched me’’ seeing the crowd around the Master. Imagine someone asking who touched him or her in an open-air concert with an overflowing crowd. That woman was intentional and deliberate and persuaded that a touch is ALL she needed for her miracle.
In the same vein, there was a Roman centurion who approached Jesus to heal his servant in Matthew 8:8-9. Contrary to the kind of persuasion of the woman we read about above, this soldier believed speaking a word would bring about the healing of his servant. He had access to Jesus, and he could have touched him right there also just like the woman with the issue of blood. However, the centurion believed that just as he had authority over his soldiers, Jesus had the authority to heal with just a word, without needing to physically visit the servant.
In both instances, one thing is certain, never appear before the Lord without persuasion. Everyone has a unique level of persuasion that serves as the foundation for their faith. What is your belief? Where is your belief also? God works in diverse ways, and He will surely meet you at the point of your persuasion. If there are specific instructions in the church concerning a matter, it is for your good to follow the instructions and be fully persuaded, therein your profiting might appear unto all. Today, may the Lord meet you at the very point of your need in Jesus' name.
Song of Worship
I believe
Yes, Lord I believe (2ce)
It is well with me
Prayer - Lord, I come before you this day fully persuaded that you love me and making all things to work in my favor this day. This is my reality from this day onwards in Jesus' name.