Why we Pray

Mark 9:14-29

What I do not know but I think I know is one of the most significant drawbacks to my life as one who desires to follow Jesus.  For example, I have a dear brother in Christ who has a startup business, and it is not going as planned, so he has become anxious.   We meet and discuss the market and him being apprehensive and I tell him I will pray for him.  This morning at 4:45, a time I hoped to be sleeping, this verse popped into my mind; Philippians 4:6-7. “ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”   “It’s all good” once we do as required, not beg for it is our Father’s work, and He is wiser than all and His love is beyond our understanding.  Tell Him how thankful we are to have Him as our Father, and this is the situation and petition His helping hand.

Jesus came upon the crowd with the disciples that He left while on the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John they were in a dispute with the scribes.  Once they saw Jesus, the crowd came to him, and He asked this question: “What are you arguing about with them?”  And when the dad who needed Jesus’ help and he and his son were at the center of the argument spoke and we have this exchange between Jesus and the dad.

“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!”

This dad should be the poster person for today's church; we often take that attitude with our LORD; if you can do anything, do we understand that without faith it is impossible to please God.

Now after the boy has been healed Jesus entered the house with His disciples and they are confused asking why did the demons did not obey us?  They asked and this was the answer then and now; “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice