Help my Unbelief....

In just a few weeks, 48 of our students will be going to summer camp. Historically, this annual week of camp has proven to be some of the most formative days for our students. It is a time where the things that worry students in everyday life (school, jobs, chores, relationships, etc) are removed and they get to spend that week resting, worshipping Jesus and growing in their relationships with their brothers and sisters in Christ. During these few days, most of these students are renewed with a sense of Jesus’ divine glory and their purpose in the world. However, what happens when they leave camp and return to their normal lives and have to, once again, face the chores that have stacked up, the challenging high school course they struggle to pass and the toxic relationships that must be dealt with? Stated succintly, how will the students sustain the strong spiritual mountaintop experience they received at camp when normal life resumes?

To a much greater extent, Peter, James and John found themselves in this same situation. After witnessing Jesus’ divine glory (Mark 9:2-8) on the mountain, they descended into the valley of utter chaos and failure. To see the specifics, let’s look together at the following passage from Mark 9:14-29:

‘And when they came to the disciples [those that remained at the bottom of the mountain], they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him [Jesus], were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 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.” 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.” 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. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 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.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 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.” 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.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” ‘  

In summary, when reading this account (and other passages about prayer), we can observe that the disciples lack of reliance on consistent and unceasing prayer resulted in their inability to cast out this specific demon. 

Now, you may be asking how relying on continuous prayer applies to Christians today. After all, we are not tasked with casting out demons or performing supernatural miracles like the disciples were doing. However, God has tasked each of us with fulfilling a specific mission for His glory within our individual homes, families, church and communities. And, for a time, it is entirely possible to depend on our own strength to successfully accomplish it. However, like the disciples did, we will eventually encounter a situation where we will fail unless we are in a posture of unceasing and continuous prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17. Romans 12:12). Sadly, as we go about living our daily lives, we often substitute routine and self-reliance for active dependence on God. More specifically, we easily become so busy doing things such as planning events for church, hitting deadlines at work or managing the household that we go the entire week without ever actually speaking to Him,  the very sustainer of our life and our ministry. Christian, because the disciples were not actively depending on God by maintaining a consistent posture of prayer, they could not drive out this demon. Likewise, when we depend on our own self-suffiency instead of tapping into the power of prayer (total dependence upon God), we, too, will ultimately fail to achieve what God has called us to be and do. Brothers and sisters, do you, as God has commanded, tap into His power, by engaging in a continuous posture or prayer? If not, will you begin doing so today so that your spiritual mountaintop experience will be maintained and your mission will be successful for His Glory?....

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