Today’s passage is Mark 9:14-29. Jesus comes down from the mount of transfiguration with Peter, James and John to find a crowd around the other disciples who have failed to drive out an evil spirit from a boy. Jesus angrily rebukes them all for lack of faith, especially the father of the boy. Jesus drives out the evil spirit. When the disciples ask him why they couldn’t do it, he says that kind of spirit only comes out through prayer and fasting.
How much do you prayer for your children?
Does your unbelief dominate your belief?
One of my great failings is my poor prayer life, especially for my children and my family.
I don’t do it everyday in an earnest way.
I know I need to dedicate a time to do it, but I don’t. I need to make a habit of it just like my habit of writing an email to my daughter Tess every Saturday morning.
I don’t worry about her writing back. My writing to her is the important thing to let her know that I think about her.
I have the time in my Google calendar, which gives me a warning.
I need to make prayer appointments in my calendar so that I can create a habit of prayer.
I have a QT habit every morning and a writing habit every Saturday, but I don’t have a prayer habit.
Without it, I pray sporadically for my children because I am weak and they are far away.
When my wife and I discussed today’s passage, she asked me if I believed my children would be saved. I said I hoped so.
Hope is not the same as belief.
In the context of today’s passage, I was exactly like the father of the boy saying to Jesus, “If you can …”. Jesus’ exasperated cry of IF!! is aimed at me too.
It showed me my limits of belief for my children and my mother.
I see only their present situation, not their salvation in the Lord’s time.
I have let the picture of their faith right now turn my hope into unbelief.
It shows my lack of trust in the Lord for my family’s salvation.
Today’s passage showed me my unbelief and my need for repentance and my need to pray regularly with belief.
Application: make prayer appointments on my calendar for my children.
Lord, Help my unbelief! Give me your Spirit to pray as I want to and as I need to.
