Since March 2012 I’ve read through the Gospels every month. And one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is this: With Jesus, your expectation will determine his visitation in your life. This isn’t a theory but an observable fact derived from those who told his story.

Change Your Expectations and Change Your Life

In case you’re skeptical, consider the following three stories.

The Desperate Dad

In Mark 5 Jesus visited Capernaum, on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. As he climbed out of the boat a synagogue official named Jairus, whose daughter was dying, approached him. The Jewish leader pleaded with Jesus to come to his home and heal his little girl.

Jairus had high expectations!

The Desperate Woman

While walking to Jairus’ home a woman with a 12-year flow of blood snuck through the crowd and touched the Lord’s robe. She had spent all of her money on doctors and only gotten worse. Yet, she expected Jesus to heal her.

On that occasion many people touched Jesus. But her expectation enabled her to touch the heart of God who healed her.

That woman had high expectations!

When Jesus arrived at the home of Jairus, he found the girl dead. Undeterred, Jesus took the girls hand and raised her from the dead.

The Offended Friends

In the next chapter of Mark, Jesus visited his home town, Nazareth. His childhood friends and neighbors were initially impressed with his words and deeds. But then they recognized him. “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us? And then they took offense at him” (Mark 6:3).

Once they recognized Jesus as someone they knew, their expectation evaporated. That’s when Jesus talked about a prophet being without honor in his home town.

The Scripture then says: “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them” (Mark 6:5-6). That’s a profound statement. The low expectations of the hometown crowd prevented Jesus from performing miracles . . . and them from experiencing one.

I want to be like the Jairus and the unnamed women. I want to expect Jesus to do the supernatural when I pray for someone or reach out to touch him. For years I denied Jesus works today as he did in the past.  This created an attitude of low expectations. And I received from the Lord exactly what I expected. Just like the people of Nazareth.

I’m Going to Live with High Expectations

With that in mind, let’s make the following our daily prayer:  Open the eyes of my heart to see who Jesus truly is. Help me choose faith. Give me a spirit of high expectation concerning what Jesus can and do through me. Help me be a person of faith.