One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet and kept begging Him, “My little daughter is at death’s door. Come and lay Your hands on her so she can get well and live.” So Jesus went with him (Mark 5:22).
Jairus, the synagogue leader, came to Jesus with a prayer request pleading with him to heal and save her daughter. So, Jesus was on his way to the home of the synagogue leader.
Jesus was there with the synagogue leader. When Jairus journey with Jesus began, the girl was sick and in need of healing. On this journey to synagogue leader’s home, Jesus healed a woman suffering from bleeding for 12 years. Jesus was on his way to the synagogue leader’s home. After some time, news came to the synagogue leader that his daughter had died.
The daughter was alive when Jairus came to Jesus but after some time (when Jesus is with Jairus, and Jesus was coming to their home) the daughter was dead. While being with Jesus, Jairus hears the death of his daughter.
Being with Jesus and the daughter is dead is the situation when Jesus said “Don’t be afraid, Only believe”
When the daughter is dead, Jesus is expecting Jairus to believe in Him for a miracle. When the possibility of Jairus daughter’s survival (coming to back to life) is 0%, Jesus is expecting Jairus to believe for a miracle. This is faith. Faith is believing Jesus to fulfill(answer) the prayer request even when the prayer request is dead.
Faith is not believing Jesus when the possibility of a miracle is 10%, 20%, or even 90%, but rather when the possibility is 0% or dead. Jairus was in a situation where human or medical assistance would not be able to bring his daughter back. Faith enters the scene when even with human help the possibility of a miracle is 0%. If you can get a miracle via human effort, you don’t need to have faith.
So many times, we find ourselves in Jairus’ shoes or position.
We bring our prayer request to Jesus with tears. We are in alignment with Jesus about the request. Even Jesus comes along with us. After being with Jesus on our journey, we come to know that our prayer request is dead (no longer required or valid) . At this point, Jesus expects us to only believe and not be afraid.
Jairus had to go through a lot of commotion and weeping. We may have also experienced disappointments, afflictions, and mockery as a result of the prayer request’s failure(dead). Although Jesus was present with us, the prayer request is dead.
At this juncture, Jesus came to the synagogue leader’s home to resurrect the dead daughter. Jesus said “Talitha koum!” (which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl got up and began to walk.
The same Jesus is coming to our house today to resurrect or bring to life all your dead prayer requests. Jesus is calling the prayer request with the same voice as Talitha Koum. The initial prayer request in Jairus’ case is dead or void because his daughter is dead. How can a dead daughter get well and live? We also might be in a similar circumstance where we keep all of our hopes and exceptions on a prayer request, and being with Jesus, the prayer request itself is dead. Believe that God can resurrect a dead prayer request, together with hopes and expectations, regardless of how many days or years it has been dead. You may be wondering how God might bring your complicated dead prayer request back to life. God is an expert, when he resurrects the prayer request, it brings hope, joy and peace, eradicating all sorrow and grief.
When we are with Jesus, sometimes our prayer requests die. That is the time to believe and witness God’s resurrection power. When Jairus daughter is alive, Jesus did not say believe. When Jairus daughter is dead, Jesus says to only believe. Are your prayer requests dead today while you’re with Jesus?
This is the time to believe, like Jairus did, that Jesus will come to your house and resurrect your dead prayer requests.
What matters is that Jairus was with Jesus when the girl was alive or dead. Is the same Jesus with you in your prayer request journey? Rest and believe in Jesus if He is with you, and don’t worry about the prayer requests. All your dead prayer requests will be resurrected and brought back to life when Jesus is with you.
