Scripture: Mark 9:23
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Spiritual B3:
Do we have the power to affect change in other people’s lives through our belief? According to our Biblical story, the answer is a resounding—YES! Think about the implications of that revelation for a moment, through belief and prayer, not only can we impact situations in our lives, but we have the spiritual capacity and Biblical authority to make a difference in the lives of people we care about— if we can believe!
Tomorrow we’ll explore the father’s oral answer to Jesus’ question in greater depth, but right now I want to look at not what the father said, but what the boy’s father did.
Go back and look at how in all three Gospels (Mark 9, Matthew 17, and Luke 9) what preceded our main passage of study—the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus is on this mountain praying about the cross that lied ahead. The gospels suggest that He prayed so long that Peter, James, and John fell asleep. In all three gospels we see Jesus descending from this mountain experience and stumbling into what one Gospel writer calls a “great multitude”. Think about how long it takes not just a crowd, but a great multitude to gather. Finally, think about how many times the disciples would have tried to cast out this unclean spirit before they yielded to the sting of defeat and look of disappointment on that desperate father’s face. I am doing my best to set the stage for the revelation that God showed me during my experience.
God began to show me the greatest act of faith and belief sometimes is our ability to simply not give up and hang in there when what we are seeking seems to be taking too long. I attempted to lay out a chronological timeline and the many points along the way when the father could have given up, threw up his hands, walked away, and simply quit, but something would not let him leave without what he came for.
The point for today is to tell you it’s too soon to quit, too early to throw in the towel, though the vision tarries, wait for it, it will come to pass. Sometimes that’s all the belief you need to start, the belief to hang in there when everything and everyone else fails and your faith is frustrated; find the strength to hang in there until Jesus shows up. That’s real belief and the belief that sets you on the path to your answered prayer!
CPR Kit for the Soul:
- Centering Theme: Meditate on the fact that sometimes the greatest blessings take the greatest time
- Prayer Topic: Strength, so the failings of the disciples of Jesus, are not attributed to the power of Jesus
- Reflection Thought: Do I want the answer to my prayer enough that I’ll wait until Jesus shows up?
T3 Prayer Starter:
- Dear Lord, as You gave that father strength to stand in the face of defeat, grant me that same strength…
- Lord, help me to avoid confusing the failings of others with the faith to believe that all things are possible…
- Lord, I feel like everyone is watching my pain on public display, but speak to my heart if this is only a part of the process of building my spiritual endurance, because that same crowd will see my breakthrough…
