24.157 | PRAYER IS POWER | Mark 9:28-29 | God's Word for Today with Pastor Nazario Sinon

God’s Word For Today

Text: Mark 9:28-29 (ESV)

28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

PRAYER IS POWER

When the disciples were together alone in a house, they asked Jesus why they couldn’t drive the spirit away from the mute boy. They have a good reason to wonder why they seem to have no authority over the demon. Earlier, they traveled around Galilee and experienced healing and casting out demons by themselves(see Mark 6:13).

Did they trust their experience? Perhaps. We have no idea. We should not presume that we can do an extra-ordinary work today since we have done it before. It is possible that the disciples have displayed the same arrogance that Jesus condemns the Pharisees of. They're filled with self-confidence since they're associated with Him. And they allow that self-confidence to feed the belief they have an autonomous power and authority outside of God.

Jesus explains that such a challenge can be overcome only by prayer. Impliedly, Jesus addressed their lack of prayer. However, in Matthew 17:20, Jesus reveals that they did not have enough faith. Faith and prayer are closely twined. The more faith in God we have, the more we realize how much we need Him. Thus, we do pray when we believe, don’t we?

Trusting that He will work all things together for good (Rom 8:28), we keep our eyes on the One in whom the faith is placed and not on the circumstance in which the Faithful One acts. Even this posture is partially expressed as prayer. Even when we don’t understand, we pray with thanksgiving in our hearts. And the Lord will act in ways beyond our comprehension and flood our souls with peace. [Phil 4:6,7]

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