As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." And he cried, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped, and commanded him to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, let me receive my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Luke 18:35–43 (RSV)
Christian prayer can be subject to many barriers. The blind man is a witness to the importance of prayer regardless of the challenges. He recognizes the opportunity to pray. Jesus is near, so the blind man cries out to the Lord. The believer knows the Lord is present; thus, it is time to pray.
The blind man's prayer was not filled with useless words. He prayed what needed to be prayed at that moment. Jesus teaches us not to heap up empty phrases when we pray. Our prayers will say what we need to say in that time of prayer. A few words from the heart are more pleasing to the Lord than hundreds piled on top of one another.
The blind man persists in prayer. Some in the crowd wanted him to be silent, but he cried out again, 'Son of David, have mercy on me.' The evil one will seek to place all manner of barriers to our prayers. Every prayer is an urgent prayer as it draws us closer to the Lord. The correct time for prayer is the moment it is prayed.
We, like the blind man, rejoice in our prayers are heard by the Lord. We trust that His response to our prayers is the perfect one. Though we may not comprehend His mercy to our prayers, we give thanks that they are heard.