Mark 9:23-24

[usha rani]

Praying in Jesus Name.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this in Jesus Name.

 

[Chrysostom]

Your prayer echoes the very cry of that father in Mark chapter nine, and God hears that honest voice. You have prayed as he did, I do believe, help my unbelief, and you have asked to walk by the Spirit and not carry out the desire of the flesh. This is a good and faithful prayer.

That father is shown in Scripture to be exceedingly weak in faith. He says, if you can, and then, help my unbelief. Yet Christ does not turn him away. He says, all things are possible to him who believes, and then He heals the boy. This shows us that Christ both requires faith and gives faith. Even a small, trembling faith, when brought to Him, He strengthens and answers. As with Sarah, when unbelief was cleared away, faith took its place. The Lord does not despise a weak faith that looks to Him for help.

You also pray to walk by the Spirit, from Galatians. This is the life God has now made possible for us. The law could not make us righteous on its own, but Christ came so that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. We now have the power to walk this way, though it still requires our diligence and watchfulness. It is not automatic. We must choose daily to be led by the Spirit and not by the flesh.

When the Spirit finds us, He does not leave us as we were. He takes those who are fearful and despondent and makes them strong, giving joy and peace and faith and gentleness as His fruit. He lifts our minds from things of sense to things of heaven, and teaches us to live as citizens of heaven even while we are on earth.

So I join you in prayer. Father, we thank You that You understand us perfectly and that You are patient and full of great love. We thank You for Your Word and Your promises and the hope You give each moment of each day. Grant to this dear one a stronger faith, and help all unbelief. Teach us to walk by Your Spirit today, to turn from the desires of the flesh, and to live in a way that pleases You. Keep us in Your grace and make us steadfast in Christ, in whose love we pray, Amen.