Jesus said to him, "If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes." Mark 9:23 NRSV
In Mark 9:17-29, we have the story of Jesus healing a boy with an evil spirit. The good father seeking healing for his son brought him to the disciples. Despite their best efforts, they could not heal the boy. Upon hearing this, Jesus rebukes those gathered for their unbelief. It is unclear whether this was directed at the disciples, or more broadly to all those gathered. We know for sure that in response to the scripture for today, the father of the child responds (v. 24), "I believe; help my unbelief!" After this, Jesus heals the child. Privately afterward, the disciples ask him why they could not remove the demon, to which Jesus replies (v. 29), "This kind can come out only through prayer." Implying that this particular type of evil spirit only responded to prayer.
As Christians, our whole spiritual existence is one of belief. There are times when we can all appreciate the father's sentiment; we believe, help our unbelief. We believe in God, the creator of all things. We believe in Jesus Christ. We believe in the Holy Spirit. Yet, at times our beliefs are challenged. We want to believe, but we find our faith wavering. It's nothing to be ashamed of, as humans, our faith is imperfect. In those times, we need to go to our Heavenly Father in prayer and ask for help and guidance.
God, we acknowledge your awesomeness. You are great and mighty, creating all and dwelling in all. We give you thanks for the many gifts you shower on us daily. We believe in you, yet at times we still experience unbelief. We ask for your help in those times. We come to you with our prayers today, those things heavy on our hearts, and offer them to you. We ask for your will to be done in all items in our lives, and we offer ourselves freely and wholeheartedly to you. In Jesus' name, we pray.
Blessings!
Pastor Tim
