Speak Up!

I am not one who usually needs to be told to speak up; my verbosity is something of a by-word among my friends, cause for rolled eyes and tolerant grins. But as I've been reading both halves of the Word lately, a theme requiring more words on my part seems to be developing.
There's a great scene in 2 Chronicles where Abijah, king of Judah, is facing off against Jeroboam, king of Israel. Abijah has literally half as many “valiant warriors” as Jeroboam, but suddenly he stands and gives Henry V's St. Crispan's Day speech a run for its money.
“ 'Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat... rose up and rebelled against his lord... And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD... because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods... But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him... Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.'... Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.” ( excerpted from 2Ch 13:4-15,)
There is likewise a fantastic story in Mark where a blind man sues Jesus for help.
“...as He was leaving Jericho... Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' And many 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 said, 'Call him.' ... And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' And the blind man said to Him, 'Rabbi, let me recover my sight.' And Jesus said to him, 'Go your way; your faith has made you well.' And immediately he recovered his sight and followed Him on the way.” (Mar 10:46-52)
In both of these cases the key to God's action seems to be the fact that people made some noise. Abijah declared aloud the character of God, audaciously assuming that based on what he was proclaiming God would act. When was the last time we were so presumptuous? It was only after Jesus asked Bartimaeus to speak aloud what he wanted that Jesus healed him. Bartimaeus made no polite overtures— people were telling him to shut up!— he only stated his desires to the One who could satisfy them. When was the last time we showed such “unmitigated temerity”?
Now, we have every faith that when we go into a coffee shop, the 15-year old kid behind the counter who can't drive or spell Frappuccino is going to be able to provide us with the coffee we want. Imagine this: craving a 20-oz. four-shot, hazelnut breve with extra whip and a caramel drizzle, you creep up to the counter and say, “Look, if it's perfectly all right with you, and you're not too busy, and— here's my money up front— and if it jives with the greater context of your coffee-serving experience, would you be willing to get me half a cup of decaf, black? And take you're time. If you're not back in half an hour I'll assume the answer is no. And you can keep the money.... I don't really expect anything.”
Is this not how we approach the Father of Lights, Who gives to His beloved even in their sleep? Romans 10:9 says, “...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will he not also with Him graciously give us all things?” (Rom 8:32)
How about we start asking like Abijah and Bartimaeus— expectantly— and see what happens?