Britain has become a great spiritual battleground where the Christian identity of this nation is under attack on many fronts. This is no time for churches across this land to be divided and distracted by worldly cares and ambitions. This is a time to fight the good fight of faith and love, and in Sir Winston Churchill’s words, to be determined that ‘we will never surrender’ our spiritual freedoms and Christian heritage.  

For all the challenges we face, we should never be discouraged. For as both the Bible and revival history shows us, it is in times of great darkness and desperation that God so often turns everything around.  

We see how this can happen by looking at the story of man who lived all his life in darkness. He was a blind man, a desperate man, a man for whom it seemed impossible that anything could change. But in just one moment in time everything changed for him. The power of God was released on him and multitudes marvelled at what had happened so quickly.   

This man was called Bartimaeus, and his story is in Luke 18:35-43. Matthew’s gospel records that there were two blind men begging but Mark and Luke’s gospels singled out the most vocal of the two. Mark tells us his name was Bartimaeus and that he not only knew the name of Jesus, but he also recognised Him as the Son of David, the Promised Messiah.  

We see some simple lessons from this story of how the church can be revitalised as agents of great and sudden change in the UK. We must: 

1. Focus on people in great need (Luke 18:35; Luke 4:18) 

2. Cry out to God for mercy (Luke 18:36-39; Exodus 2:23-25; Judges 6:2-6; Psalms 18:6; 34:17) 

3. Have big dreams (Luke 18:40-41) 

4. Expect to experience miracles (Luke 18:42-43) 

5. Let the new followers of Jesus influence many others (Luke 18:43; John 4:39) 

Apply  

1. Focus on people in great need (Luke 18:35). Bartimaeus was in a desperate condition as a blind man who had to beg to get any money. He couldn’t see anything, and crowds of people just passed him by. He was, like so many in our world, left behind to look after himself, just trying to get a few coins to keep him going. But Jesus built His ministry on people like Bartimaeus: the blind, the deaf, the dumb, the grieving widow, the sick and suffering. This is why the anointing of the Holy Spirit had come on Him (Luke 4:18). We should focus on the hurting, the poor, the despised, the lonely, overlooked, and grieving. People everywhere are in pain, including the rich and famous and outwardly happy. And we need eyes to see who is struggling by the roadside of life and not just be part of the crowd that rushes on past. To turn this nation around, we will need Christians and churches that truly love people no matter who they are or from what background they come.  

2. Cry out to God for mercy (Luke 18:36-39). When Bartimaeus heard Jesus was coming near, he recognised this was his moment that everything could change if he could somehow connect with Him. So amidst all the noise of the crowd he shouted out “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” This wasn’t a polite, quiet prayer; it was an urgent call for help. His shouting was so loud that many people told him to shut up. But we read this caused him to “shout all the more. Son of David, have mercy on me!” This was a man who really knew how much he needed the mercy of God. He was desperate to seize the moment to connect with Jesus. So often God permits individuals, families, church and even nations to come to a place of desperation where we realise our only hope is to ask God to show us His mercy. That was the case in 1940 when literally millions of Britons answered the King’s call to prayer that this nation would be saved from tyranny. With no other hope of help, they cried to God for mercy. This was what happened with the Israelites (Exodus 2:23-25; Judges 6:2-6). This was the tipping point when God raised up Gideon and his 300 dedicated men who overcame a vast army. King David knew how to effectively call for the mercy of God (Psalms 18:6, 34:17). Real prayer is when we are desperate enough to truly cry out to God for mercy knowing that we have no other options. Today in the UK we are being brought to a point where we need to cry out to God for our own answers, to cry out to God for our families, for greater purity, power and fruitfulness in our churches. And for sure we need His intervention in our nation. Without doubt we deserve judgement for so many reasons, in a nation and former empire that has been in such rebellion towards God and for breaking firm promises to the Jewish people and Israel. But we can still cry out to the great God of mercy for our generation and those to come that the fires of God in this nation will never go out.  

3. Have big dreams (Luke 18:40-41). Bartimaeus knew exactly what he wanted; it was a big miracle to receive his sight but he was clear what he wanted. Everything would change when he could see. We too should ask God to give us clear vision to see what we have not seen before, to have the scales removed from our eyes so that we can visualise changes in our lives, in our self-perception, and in families and churches. When the Lord touches our eyes, we will perceive that we can and will minister to multitudes. 

4. Expect to experience miracles (Luke 18:42-43). Healing is central to the gospel. Healing miracles are part and parcel of New Testament Christianity and commonly seen in Christian revivals. Healings are signs that the kingdom of God has come on earth and are connected to faith. Jesus told Bartimaeus ‘your faith has healed you.’ Bartimaeus had lived all his life as a blind man. He could have been resigned to his fate but when he knew that Jesus was nearby, he had faith for healing. He called Jesus ‘the son of David’ because he believed He was the promised Messiah and that when he connected with Him nothing was impossible. And that remains true today. For Jesus Christ is indeed the same yesterday, today and forever. He’s still the healer and the Lord over every disease and sickness. He is still the miracle worker. We need to put our faith in Jesus. ‘Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we don’t see.’ Today we need a new dimension of supernatural ministry to move forward in the face of so much satanic opposition and confusion. Let’s believe that all things are possible with God, and to pray for and heal the sick.  

5. Let the new followers of Jesus influence many others (Luke 18:43). When new believers share their testimonies, many people can come to Christ (John 4:39). Billy Graham’s ministry took off not just because of his anointed evangelistic preaching but because of the conversions of a well-known gang boss and famous radio personality in his 1949 Los Angeles campaign. Whenever people come to Christ, be quick to let them spread the good news and you will be amazed at the great harvest of their families and friends. Let’s go forward together with new faith and focus and see a great spiritual turnaround throughout our nation. Let’s cry out to God for His mercy in our lives, in our families and churches and in this nation.