Lord, Do You See My Urgency?
LENT DEVOTIONAL 2026 | DAY 16
Luke 8:22–56 (NIV)
By Jairus Thomas, Pastoral Team Member, Small Group Ministry
READ:
Luke 8:22–56 (NIV)
Luke 8:40–56 spoke to me. Have you ever found yourself asking, “Jesus, can’t You see my urgency?”
Between verses 42 and 49 of this passage, Jairus, a synagogue ruler, lived in the painful space of waiting. Because his only daughter was dying, he had gone to Jesus in desperation (v41). Then a report came from his home that his daughter was already dead and he should stop troubling Jesus. If Jairus felt shattered then, no one would have blamed him. He had done everything right: he went to Jesus, he pleaded, he trusted. Jesus heard the report and told him, “Do not fear, only believe” (v50).
Jairus could only wait.
Jesus had paused to attend to others. From Jairus’ perspective, the delay
may have felt as though Jesus did not care, or care enough. Time was slipping away. I can imagine that to Jairus, hope felt fragile. Perhaps he cried out in his heart, “Jesus, can’t You see my need and urgency? I have trusted You, but time is running out.” And the question remains: Does Jesus truly understand my urgency?
Many of us know this tension well.
Jairus’ waiting resonates deeply with me. Born into a missionary family, I came from India to Singapore to study at TTC (Trinity Theological College) with sufficient funds for only my first year and nothing for years 2 and 3. I could only pray then, “Jesus, I am coming to serve You. I have no money. You need to provide. I trust You.”
As the first academic year drew to a close, I felt helpless and out of control. Knowing I had stepped out in obedience but still facing many uncertainties, I wondered, more than once, “Can Jesus really see my urgency and need?” The only thing I could do was to surrender all my worries and to choose to trust God. It was not easy. It was an active and difficult choice, sustained only by God’s grace. It wasn’t until just before my first year ended that I received news that I was granted a full scholarship for years 2 and 3. Everything fell into place in ways I could never have planned.
That season taught me that nothing is too hard for God. He was in control all along. He provides in His way and in His time, even when I feel that Jesus is silent or delayed, and continues to shape me to rely on Him.
Lent reminds us of God’s pattern with His people—seasons of testing, waiting, and refinement. It is a time to learn dependence, to re-centre our priorities, and to re-orientate our love. Just as Jesus said to Jairus, “Do not fear; only believe,” He says the same to us. Trust that He is at work, even in the waiting.
Loving Father, as I wait on You, help me fix my eyes on Jesus. Teach me to listen to Your voice amidst the chaos and in the mundane. May my heart not be hardened to Your voice today. Give me the grace to trust and hold fast to You, not based on my circumstances, but because of who You are, my faithful refuge and strength. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
[ Reflection Questions ]
1. In what current situations in your life do you feel a sense of urgency or a delay in Jesus’ answer to your prayer?
2. What might Jesus be doing, and how might you respond to Him, in the pause that you cannot yet see or understand the purpose of?
3. Are you facing any situations where God is calling you to trust and obey Him at this time?
