Who Are You When You Pray?: 4. The Centurion

Matthew 8: 5-13

After reading this weeks scripture you may be wondering what the Centurion has to do with prayer? Well, initially we can look at it from the angle, that he brought his request to Jesus. But there are many examples of people who did that in scripture. The centurion was different though, and we see how different by looking at what Jesus says about him in Matthew 8 verse 10:

“Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.”

If we could be like the centurion when we pray, what amazing things we would see! The faith of the centurion was what healed his servant. On other occasions in scripture we can also hear Jesus say “Your faith has healed you”. Yet the centurion did something different, he stood in the gap for his servant and interceded for him – intercession simply means to stand in the gap for someone and pray on their behalf. Even Jesus marvelled at the faith of this man.

Today if you know others who need prayer, stand in the gap for them and ask God to touch them. Or if you feel that you could never have faith like the centurion to pray for others why not ask God to increase your faith – after all it is a Gift of the Spirit (1 Corinthian 12: 7 -11).

Sara Hesbrook

2003-05-19