Song of the Day
“Do It Again” by Elevation Worship
Devotional thought
Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Mark 9:24
This father was under intense emotional turmoil as he watched his son endure incredible difficulties as a result of a demon possession. The young man was being thrown into Fire and Water by this demon in an attempt to destroy him.
The father brought the boy to Jesus for healing. And these words from the father to Jesus touch my heart today very strongly;
“…if You are able to do anything, have compassion on us to help us.”
Mark 9:22 (partial)
Jesus responded,
“If You are able?” All things are possible for the one who believes.”
Mark 9:23 (partial)
Then these wonderfully practical words proceed from the father’s mouth to Jesus, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Seeing the miraculous power of Jesus healing many and delivering people from demonic strongholds gave this man the courage and faith to bring his son to the Lord for healing.
Then, when facing Jesus and being confronted with his personal faith, he understood a bit more fully the truth and weakness of his faith. This led to a beautiful request for help from the One he had confidence could help!
Making the personal connection
O’ how I can relate to this dichotomy so beautifully expressed by this father who loves his son and wants to see him healed. How often I have uttered these words in my own prayers for those I love and want to see healed. “O’ God, I believe You are able, but please help my unbelief”.
Most of us fully trust in the Lord and are surrendered to seeing His perfect will accomplished in each situation we face. We believe that God is good and faithful, and that He is able to do anything we ask or imagine, right?
So, why do we harbor unbelief?
Well, I believe it’s because there have been some outcomes to situations we believed God for that ended up looking and being completely different than what we envisioned. And as a result, we begin to store up this “unbelief” in our heart, and although we truly do believe God is able, we begin to doubt.
Just like the father we begin to say things like, “If You are able Lord…”, instead of, “God I know You are able and willing to help..”! We begin to lose confidence in the God who truly has NEVER failed us.
Questions for Reflection
- Are you harboring unbelief in the power and goodness of God to intervene into your situation and provide a miracle?
- Do you believe that Jesus is able and willing to hear your prayers and respond to your request for help?
- Will you be honest with God and ask Him to help your unbelief?
Action Steps
Track God’s answers to prayer
We need to allow the undeniable evidence of God’s activity in our lives to instruct our faith and prayer life. Let’s never stop running to the Lord who loves us for help in our times of need, regardless of the nagging feelings of unbelief!
When we pray, let’s keep a journal of how God responded to our prayers.
Confess our weaknesses to God
We overcome our unbelief by confessing to the Lord our utter dependence upon Him and asking Him to help our unbelief.
As we draw our strength from the Lord Jesus by coming to Him in our times of need, our confidence grows and something beautiful happens where it becomes easier to trust God with the outcomes to our situations.
Trust God for the Outcomes!
Trust in God’s power and ability and not in your own faith! Our faith is wavering and weak most of the time (if we’re honest), but God is faithful and dependable at all times! So, tell Him about your weakness, just like the father did, and ask Him to help you trust Him more.
Prayer
Father God, I praise You for revealing Yourself as a trustworthy and dependable help in my times of need. I confess that I do not always have perfect faith, and I ask that You help me overcome any unbelief in my heart. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scripture to reflect upon
(Please hover, or click onto, the Scriptures to read the specified text!)
- Mark 9:17-24,
- Ps 78:7,
- Eph 3:20,
- Ps 18:30,
- Isaiah 40:8,
Memory Verse
Thank you so much for this post. Yes of course I believe. But some things do mount up to disbelief. And then i feel shame and guilt.
I understand. But, Instead of shame and guilt use it to draw near to Jesus like the father in the story did.