BUT PRAYER!”

Mark 9:14-29                                       (ESV)

“14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.

15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw HIM, were greatly amazed and ran up to HIM and greeted HIM.

16 And HE HEasked them, "What are you arguing about with them?"

17 And someone from the crowd answered him, "TEACHER, I brought my son to YOU, for he has a spirit that makes him mute.

18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked YOUR disciples to cast it out, and they were not able."

19 And HE answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to ME."

20 And they brought the boy to HIM. And when the spirit saw HIM, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.

21 And JESUS asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood.

22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But IF YOU CAN do anything, have compassion on us and help us."

23 And JESUS said to him, "'IF YOU CAN'! ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE FOR ONE WHO BELIEVES."

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I BELIEVE; HELP MY UNBELIEF!"

25 And when JESUS saw that a crowd came running together, HE rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, "He is dead."

27 But JESUS took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28 And when HE had entered the house, HIS disciples asked HIM privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"

29 And HE said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything “BUT PRAYER”.

This passage was used by yours truly about awhile back, but my spirit is still stirred by I BELIEVE, HELP MY UNBELIEF!  My FAITH needs to grow, and is growing!  The father of this boy evidently had no problem BELIEVING that JESUS was GOD, but apparently he didn’t understand how encompassing THE POWER OF GOD was?  HELP MY UNBELIEF is what most of us have need of saying, for we don’t possess the FAITH required to warrant THE MIRACULOUS, even though we have SEEN HIM work MIRACLES before!

So how do we experience GOD working outside of “the natural”?    To begin with, the fact that our bodies can turn oxygen into carbon dioxide with no effort on our part is a miraculous event in itself.  Then our blood is oxygenated and flows through our veins/vessels continuously for the time we are alive again is miraculous.  So for me, every birth is a sign that there IS A GOD, it’s just some of us can’t SEE that!  We get so comfortable with our “lives” that we BELIEVE everyone is as BLESSED as we are.  Each of us experience trials and tribulations that can drag us into defeat, or can be used by ALMIGHTY GOD to Glorify HIS NAME!  GOD has a Plan for each of us, and HIS PURPOSE will be accomplished (Isaiah 46:10-11)!  

Why did this boy have to be demon possessed?  His father apparently was trying to “do the right thing”, for he was “seeking” JESUS to help his son.  He also understood that he needed DIVINE INTERVENTION in his son’s life!  His son’s healing was BEYOND the capabilities of man!  The MIRACULOUS HEALING of the boy who was torn by the evil spirit since childhood.  What JESUS needed to make sure of was that GOD would be Glorified by the healing of this boy, not just that the boy was healed.  ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE ONE WHO BELIEVES THAT GOD IS ABLE!  Surely people would SEE that GOD should be Glorified with the removal of the evil spirit?  Surely they wouldn’t forget?  Surely the impression wouldn’t fade too quickly???

Within three verses of healing the boy, JESUS began preparing HIS disciples for HIS crucifixion.....AND RESURRECTION!  Since GOD resurrected JESUS from the grave, there is NOTHING that is too difficult for HIM!  WHY would JESUS have to die?  HE had done nothing wrong.  The disciples wanted to know WHY they weren’t able to heal the boy?  GOD’s ways are NOT our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) and I need to get my HANDS OFF and LET HIM BE GOD! 

In the finals words of the passage of today’s Scripture, JESUS says “BUT PRAYER”!  When we reach the end of “our understanding”, “BUT PRAYER” to GOD IN HEAVEN is our only recourse!