Faith-Filled Words and Wordless Requests

A Roman officer sent the elders of the Jews to ask Jesus to come and heal his highly valued servant, who was sick, “grievously tormented,” and about to die. The officer felt unworthy to speak to the Healer in person, and when Jesus neared his house, he sent friends to tell Him that he wasn’t worthy of Jesus entering. His extraordinary confidence in Jesus’ healing power proclaimed, “But say in a word, and my servant shall be healed” (Luke 7:7). Jesus said He had not seen such faith among all the Jews and cured the man that hour without a word of healing. He told the officer: “Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee” (Matt 8:13).

Words carry weight and power; so do our actions. What we say and how we act reveal much about our faith in God. Faith-filled words expect and bring about miracles, but so do our wordless hearts’ desires in the presence of our great miracle-working, Way-Maker God. Over and again, we read in the Bible that Jesus healed people and moved in their lives without speaking a word; often, it was someone’s faith in His ability to do the impossible that led to something marvelous.

The written Word is weighty, and we can trust the Author. Do we have such confidence in Jesus as the centurion? As did the blind, dead raised to life, disabled, lepers, hungry, and persecuted, He healed, fed, and freed? Speak faith-filled words, and never underestimate the power of a sincere, faith-filled, wordless heart’s request that reaches heaven, moves mountains, and blesses God.