“This kind cannot be driven out
by anything but prayer.” Mark 9:29
The disciples wondered why they were unable to cast the demon
out of the man’s child and this was Jesus’ response. How true it is with much
of life; some things require prayer and fasting; deep deliverance is always dependent
upon the Divine. Not that there is some type of religious hocus pocus to
perform; there assuredly is no spiritual equation to follow. However, many
things require an amount of patience and reliance that can only be found through
increased measures of faith.
And this ought to be an encouragement. For we look forward
to days of harvest and long for heaven’s bountiful blessings while here on
earth. Certainly we experience such grace in part but never in full. The
reality is that moments such as these are not passed out like Halloween candies.
In truth, we must wait…and waiting is difficult.
When we want things, we rarely want them in the future. How
often have you thought, “Twill be nice to
have this or that someday, if God ordains it...”? Typically when we want
something, we want it right now. Why is patience considered virtuous? One with
patience is thought to have virtue because everyone knows we do not come by it
naturally. So when our days grow challenging and our abilities fail to bring
about our desired outcomes, where else can we turn?
When our belief is not enough, we, like the father of the
child in the story, must look to our Savior for help. “Lord, I believe; help my
unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) When the right direction is unclear, when
discernment is desperately required, when disease ravages the body, and sin
torments the soul that’s astray, we must press into Christ. “Lord,
we’ve tried every avenue known to us; we’ve been reminded of our insufficient
strength and Your omnipotent hand; Father, do what only you can!”
So where is this struggle for you? Is it a rebellious child
that wants nothing to do with the things of God? Are you stuck in a season of
life that seems to request far more than you can give? Are you striving to turn
the tide in your home? Does it feel like the culture is changing, but just way
too slowly? Perhaps, this passage is the Lord’s way of reminding you to
faithfully pursue and entrust the One who is forever faithful – the One that
never tires out – the One who knows the very number of hairs on your head – the
Great God of our salvation – the One to whom even the demons and winds and
waves obey.
Yes, some things may come only by prayer and fasting.
Certainly the Lord calls us to a deepening faith. Yet, lest we be deceived,
there is no good thing that comes about on our own. That is to say, all gifts
come from above. May we see our daily need for Jesus in the big and the small
alike, and might He grow our trust in Him – for His grace to be experienced and
His glory to be revealed.
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| Matt Fowler - Family Pastor of High School |
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