Mark 9:21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered.
I understand this father on a gut level. He had just, unsuccessfully, asked the disciples to rid his son of the demon, and they failed. His comment in verse 22–“if you can do anything”—isn’t about God’s ability but about his faith, which has already been shaken. I totally get that.
Mark 9:22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
This passage changed my prayer life. Instead of praying, “God, please heal…” “God, please fix….” I say, “God, I know You can do all things. And *insert my will* is what I want. But Your ways are not my ways, so if that is not Your will, please give us strength to walk Your path and draw us all closer to You in this journey.”
Mark 9:23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Precious Savior, I believe. I know You can do all things. I also know that Your thoughts are not my thoughts and Your ways are beyond anything I can imagine (Isaiah 55:8). Help me to be specific in my prayers but also to put Your Will above my own, Your glory above all. Help me remember that if we are drawn closer to You in the process, then we are more than victorious. Amen.
Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Have a blessed day.