Heather’s passion is to equip and encourage believers to seek more of God’s truth and to experience more of His joy each day. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today. Don’t let it fail. This means that every possible ground of boasting is taken away from us. This sampling shows how careful word choices can bring more insight to a verse, while staying aligned with the original meaning. We’re on a mission to change that. It acknowledges that without God we cannot believe as we ought to believe. The Complete Jewish BibleInstantly the father of the child exclaimed, “I do trust — help my lack of trust!”. It is a prayer acknowledging that without God we cannot believe as we ought to believe. (Mark 9:3, Mark 9:7). Don't Lose Thanksgiving in the Christmas Prep! Sustain it. This cry came from a man who was heartbroken over the state of his son. In Mark 9:24, the father of a child possessed by an unclean spirit cries out to Jesus, “I believe; help my unbelief!”. Then he declared that Jesus could do the healing. with. Jesus prays for Peter’s faith to be sustained even through the sin of denial, because he knows that God is the one who gives faith. Amen. With His words, He saved a boy from a tormenting spirit. Sometimes an answer to our prayer comes right away. Jesus' rebuke is the first mention of unbelief in this passage. Father God, I confess that I am battling doubt that You will heal me (my family member, friend, etc.). How long shall I put up with you?’ (Mark 9:19), When asked more about the boy's condition, the man answered, then gave an entreaty: 'But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.'. Jesus (along with Peter, James, and John) is returning from a trip up a nearby mountain (Mark 9:2-10). But if our needs don't get met as quickly as we'd like, it can be challenging to remain calm in our spirit. For it is as honest an expression of the difficulty of faith you will find in the Bible, and yet, Jesus accepts it. 2. It acknowledges that without God we cannot believe as we ought to believe. When that happens, the enemy of our souls has won! Listen to him!" We do have an important part to play in His plan, though. Whether my attitude came out of fear, upset, or even impatience, it’s revealed a weak area in me. I pray this in Jesus' name. We can let the waiting lead us to despair, or to draw closer to God. Early on as a believer, I heard the idea that God changes us gradually, as the layers of an onion are peeled off. But some situations called not for aggressive commands but humble prayer. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. I know You promise in Your Word to "heal all our diseases" and make us whole. He has defeated us! The following post is adapted from Richard’s book, The Vocation of a Christian Scholar: How Christian Faith Can Sustain the Life of the Mind (Eerdmans, 2005). Gracious Lord, I come to You and confess my doubt that You will provide for me. Most situations we find ourselves dealing with are not quite so dramatic. “. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 2 Samuel 16:12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day. It's always interesting to look at the way different Bible translations present a passage. Don’t let it fail. It is a simple prayer. Spending regular time in prayer will have that same effect on us. So, Father, help me to believe those truths, and to know in my heart that You are already working. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. The other disciples were surrounded by a crowd, and arguing with some teachers of the law. This is a good prayer. With other words, Jesus brought the father to a new level of faith. So, even as I'm still feeling anger and hurt, Lord, help me to decide to have grace for this person. But other times, healing is very slow in coming. Unbelief nullifies faith. One team negates the other. What the man says here can sound contradictory. So we should pray the way Jesus did — for ourselves and for others that God would sustain our faith. It has been damaged, and has stayed broken for a long time. Please make me willing to release my feelings, trusting that You will take care of both of us in this situation and bring peace. It took me a while to appreciate the wisdom in his words. You've planned for your future. He admits that his faith is not as strong as it could be (a weakness in his spirit), 3. Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Wavebreakmedia Ltd. The Amazing Power of Prayer from the Inside Out, 4 Things to Know about "Jingle Jangle," Netflix's Epic Family-Friendly Musical, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright © 2020, Crosswalk.com. Help My Unbelief When I Struggle to ForgiveThe command to forgive is woven all through the Bible. They arrived back to what must have been a jolting scene after the beauty of the Transfiguration (Mark 9:14-18). We need to come to Him honestly and say, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Think of what happens when we don’t do that—what happens when we harbor our doubts about Jesus, and end up closing our hearts toward Him, or stop going to Him in a spirit of dependency. In Mark 9:24 the father cries out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” This is a great prayer. "Help My Unbelief!" It is a prayer of utter dependence on God! I relate to the father's plea about his weakness, because if I'm honest, it echoes my own. "Be Still and Know that I Am God" "Pray Without Ceasing" "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made""All Things Work Together for Good" "Do Not Fear", Just Drop the Blanket: The Moment You Never Noticed in, 30 Best Thanksgiving Prayers to Inspire Gratitude and Give Thanks for Blessings, How to Be Thankful, Even When You Really Don't Feel Like It, 10 Ways to Turn Thanksgiving into Thanksliving, 10 Christian Hymns That Need to Be Put to Rest, When Do You Thank God? In verse 24 the father responds to Jesus by crying out, “I believe; help my unbelief.” This is a beautiful expression of faith, frail as it may seem, and it should give those of us who want to follow Jesus great encouragement. Strengthen it. I'm so grateful that God invites us to grow, then walks with us through the process. Now protect it. each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”. The pain I feel is real, and I don't know when it will ease. Heavenly Father, I am struggling to forgive, and wonder if I'll ever be able to. They needed to be both reliant on and confident in God. The Syriac version renders it, "help", (ytwnmyh twryoxl) , "the defect of my faith": till up that which is lacking in it, it is very deficient, Lord, increase it; and the Arabic and Ethiopic translate thus, "help the weakness of my faith". There, the three disciples had seen what is called the Transfiguration of Jesus, a visual glimpse of His divine nature. Wommack says it’s like having two teams of horses hooked up to the same wagon and pulling in different directions. The wording of this translation evokes the sense of urgency the father felt. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”. The spiritual confusion of this father is so typical of the intellectual and emotional turmoil that can … Let us pray daily, “O Lord, thank you for my faith. Let us pray daily, “O Lord, thank you for my faith. As the disciples sought God's healing hand and saw answers to prayer, their faith grew. This cry of “help my unbelief” is not a one-time occurrence: it happens every day when we find the sin and human nature in ourselves that would prevent us from aligning our lives with God’s Word and will for us. In seeking the Lord’s help, a man came to Jesus once, fell to his knees weeping, and said, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24, ESV). Health conditions are always worrisome, and this one has gone on for a while.