Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.: Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” Mark 9:23-25 NKJV.

When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they rant o greet him. What is all this arguing about? Jesus asked. One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it. Mark 9:14-19. Wow, what a situation. Just before this event, Jesus, took Peter, James and John up on the mountain, where they experienced what we now call the “Transfiguration”.

I imagine those four folks were pretty excited. The three chosen disciples who were with Jesus probably could not wait to share the experience with the rest of the team. But what did they come down to? Arguing and contention. A desperate father who very clearly understood the effects of his sons struggles. The teachers of religious law (also called scribes) were arguing with the remaining disciples, there was a distracted and disappointed father, along with the demonized son plus large crowd of bystanders! We can assume the scribes were criticizing the disciples for not being able to free the boy–although we don’t see them helping him either! It seems to be part of our human nature to quickly criticize what we can’t do ourselves.

It is a bit difficult for me to figure out exactly who Jesus was referring to to with his comment: You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Was it to the scribes, the disciples, the crowd or to the man and his boy? Back in Mark 6, Jesus commissioned the disciples. He gave them the authority to cast out evil spirits. So, was it them? Maybe he was disappointed they hadn’t learned to use the authority they had received as yet. At this time in Jewish culture there was an understanding that different evil spirits were harder to deal with. It was their understanding that you had to know the name of the spirit in order to cast it out. So dealing with a mute spirit was more difficult. This spirit caused the boy to be mute. No matter what, I am sure these 9 disciples were embarrassed and perhaps angry they couldn’t help the man and his son. Do not let the enemy discourage you from praying for difficult situations. That is his goal, to silence our prayers. If anything, stir yourself and pray even bigger ones.

There was a season in the 70’s where the church I attended dealt with evil spirits. It was amazing to watch transformation take place as our Senior Pastors spoke in authority to these evil spirits, and the people were freed. I also watched as others “tried” and the enemy seemed to mock the situation and nothing happened. It was difficult to understand. In this story, Jesus expressed his emotions and disappointment, but did not forget about the hurting man and his son.

As he turned his attention to the father, asked more clarifying questions the father ended with: Have mercy on us and help us, if you can. Mark 9:21. My friends when we struggle with unbelief, don’t we also include some kind of qualifier? “If you can”. If you want to”…”If you think I’m worthy”…maybe we don’t verbalize these qualifiers, but we may think them. The way Mark tells the story, we find Jesus sounding a bit “short”. He really wants us to trust him. I think it disappoints him, when we question his power and love. We can’t let our unbelief dictate our actions. The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief”. Isn’t that our heart when we want our loved ones freed, healed, changed etc? Are we willing to put in the time, energy and effort to build up our faith so we can see the answers to our prayers?

My question is do we comprehend that although Jesus understands our unbelief, He doesn’t want us to stay there. He really doesn’t like unbelief. Continuing the story, he looks at the crowd and then deals with the demon. The son is eventually set free and returned well to the father. We see his love and compassion for these two. When they are alone again, the disciples ask him, “why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” Jesus replied. This kind can be cast out only by prayer. Mark 9:29. This is challenging. Are we willing to pray and study enough to grow in our faith to see the answers we want? I heard a story today of a woman who prayed 37 years for her husband’s salvation. The 37th year, he accepted the Lord!

Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12. My friends, let us be careful not to ignore areas where we find unbelief. But take them to the Lord. Pray about those areas. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to grow in your belief.

Begin to study his word in those specific areas. Faith comes by hearing. Hearing comes by the word of God. I think we can get complacent and not understand that if we do not keep growing in our faith: complacency, cynicism and apathy takes over. The Holy Spirit is showing me areas where I have stopped believing for change. This is not his fault, but mine. I have decided to exercise my faith muscles for our nation. Praying for our leaders as we have been told to do, instead of letting others do it. My voice counts, so does yours. The bigger prayers we pray (according to God’s Word) the stronger we will become. We will have even bigger and better testimonies of his faithfulness to encourage others.

Father, please forgive our unbelief. It is something the enemy wants us to put up with, instead of fighting it. Teach us how to grow in faith. Help us to pray like you asked us to. In Jesus Name, amen.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 NLT

We finished the book of Ephesians with our small group. After exploring our warfare gear (i.e. the armor of God), he finishes with exhorting us to pray. The Bible Expository Commentary opens this section with the following statement. Prayer is the energy that enables the Christian soldier to wear the armor and wield the sword. (By Warren Wiersbe.) How and or why? I think this statement comes from Wiersbe’s own prayer life. Oh my friends, do not let the enemy rob you of the blessing of prayer.

When I think about PRAYER. yes with capitals. I get intimidated. I feel like a failure and that I don’t do it correctly. One day, as I was struggling to feel like I was doing it “right”, the Lord spoke to me. “He said, how do you and Darryl communicate in your marriage? That really took me back. As I took a moment, I realized that sometimes we chat up a storm, other times much quieter. Sometimes it is my actions, facial expressions, or even notes that communicate my thoughts. Then He reminded me we were in a “relationship” and that it was O.K. for things to ebb and flow. Prayer became a much freer and more relatable time.

Along my prayer journey, I discovered Psalm 5:3. Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. Rising in the morning, I greet the Lord, just like I used to greet my husband. It sets and settles the tone for my day. I know He is with me. It is my habit to have “coffee with Jesus” and His Word each morning. Some days I eagerly look forward to this time, other days, I confess it is a habit. The blessing of the habit is they sustain you during some dry times. Just like in my marriage when things seemed a bit dry, we would take the time to reconnect.

In Matthew 6:9, Jesus answers His disciples’ request to teach them how to pray. He begins with “Our Father.” There is a part where the marriage analogy breaks down. We must remember who we are praying too. It is the God who created the universe we are talking to. This is the God who lovingly, graciously, and sacrificially laid down His life for us. We must be respectful and honoring in our honesty. Our Father, hallowed be your name, is a way of keeping Him in His rightful place.

Just like in a marriage, if all I did was ask for things, the relationship wouldn’t develop. When we only petition God for things, our relationship is limited. God becomes a “fix it up chappy” for us and we wonder why we lose our joy. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 informs us of many different types of prayers we are to pray. First of all then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life,godly and dignified in every way.

Which type do you find yourself using the most? I have intentionally added more thanksgiving to my prayer life. Just like in my marriage, when I thanked and praised my husband more than criticized him, things went smoother. For me, thanksgiving has helped me grow in trust and faith. Releasing my faith becomes easier when I thank Him. I am grateful for what He has already done. Praise, worship and thanksgiving gets us out of our own limitations and brings God in. My flesh often just wants to “get to the point”, but thanksgiving actually gets me there sooner!

My friends, effective prayer begins with acknowledging who we are talking to. It begins with understanding we are in a relationship and that He has proven He wants to talk with us. He has proven His love already. If you struggle in an area of unbelief, take the time to be in His Word first. Build a scriptural foundation for what you are asking. Accept that sometimes God’s wisdom says “no” to our requests, just like a parent would say no. James 4:2-3 offers a humbling reminder. It shows what happens when we walk in the flesh instead of the Spirit. Yet, we still expect the fruit of the Spirit. You desire but you do not have so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:2-3 NIV. Ouch, so true.

Ephesians 6:18 emphasizes the importance of prayer. Warren Wiersbe, a respected Bible teacher, made this statement. Prayer is the energy that enables the Christian soldier to wear the armor and wield the sword. My friends, keep on praying or as Paul says: and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18. NIV.

Father, keep on teaching us how to pray. I thank you for the privilege we have been given to talk with You, the creator of the universe. You have given us the ability to partner with you, and that is amazing, in Jesus’ Name, amen.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, Colossians 1: 11 NLT.

Are you ever overwhelmed by all the needs in your life and the lives of others you really care about? I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit and His ability to show us how to pray. It is one area I want to grow in this year, praying more effectively.

So here are some steps I am trying to incorporate. Maybe they will help someone else..or you can pray for me!

Instead of going straight to bed and sleep, I’ve incorporated listening to worship. I intentionally try to listen to the words and worship along with the music. Afterwards, I pray for my more challenging situations (at least in my mind!). It is much easier to release my faith after worship than without it. These are probably situations I’ve already prayed for during the day.

Another tool I’ve added is praying Paul’s prayers. Growing up as a Baptist girl, we did not have set prayers like some of our Catholic or Episcopalian brethren have. We did pray the “Lord’s Prayer”, but not too often corporately. We were encouraged to just pray from the heart. It took me a while to incorporate these amazing prayers for myself and for others. Like the above scripture, praying for others to be strengthened with all his glorious power so [they] will have all the endurance and patience [they] need. May [they]be filled with joy. This is a prayer that can be prayed for almost everyone! The Greek word translated ‘endurance’ here is hupomone. It is a word that combines “hupo” meaning under and “mone” meaning to remain. So when praying this prayer, we are asking the Lord to help our friends to bear up under difficult circumstances without weariness or defeat. It specifically refers to situations, not people. So many are dealing with difficult circumstances around me. I am so grateful I can pray this prayer for them.

Along with praying for the needs of others, I haven’t forgotten the scriptural instruction to pray for our leaders. When I hear people complaining about either our political leaders or spiritual leaders, I want to ask, “have you been praying for them?” This is a reminder to pray for our leaders, my friends. Criticisms or behind their back complaining are only going to hurt your soul, not bring any positive change. I urge, then, first of all that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people–for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. I Timothy 2:1-2.

When was the last time you prayed for your enemies? Maybe your enemies comprise of those who do not think like you do. You see them as a threat. Matthew 5:44, But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Isn’t that an amazing scripture? It tells us to love our enemies first! Then pray for those who persecute us Difficult to do. I believe if we put this into practice, our enemies may become our friends. Really interceding for others, enemies or not, changes our hearts towards them. Love and hope springs up where fear and animosity once grew. I challenge you to pray for the person who irritates you the most. Ask the Lord to bless them, you will be changed.

None of these steps or tools are new or unique to me. Believers have been using them for generations. Praying in faith, trusting God’s Word, which tells us the prayers of the righteous avails much, is such a privilege. Ask Him to persecuted church? Christians that are in prison because of their faith? I have an internet friend who lives and ministers in India. She asked me to pray the other day because some of the local pastors were arrested for their faith. Then I discovered an American pastor friend (along with their team) was in a different part of India and was placed under house arrest for their faith as well. Gratefully, in both situations, these brave leaders were released. However, the local Indian pastors live under the constant threat of arrest, beatings or even having their homes torched.

My friends, it is time to grow in intercession. It is how we can partner with Him to increase the Kingdom.

Father, we are like the first disciples, needing you to teach us how to pray. Forgive us for our small vision and small faith prayers. I ask you to help us grow in this area for Your Kingdom’s sake. In Jesus’ Name, amen.