Only by Prayer

Only by Prayer
Words of Faith 1-22-2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 9
[19] "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
[20] So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
[21] Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"
"From childhood," he answered. [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."
[23] " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
[24] Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
[25] When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
[26] The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." [27] But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
[28] After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
[29] He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."

"Bring the boy to me." Could it really be this simple? Could the disciples' failure be simply a failure to get the boy to the right place?
Jesus had been up on the mountain. A father came to the remaining nine disciples with a sick and harassed boy. But rather than wait for Jesus or attempt to get the boy to Jesus, they decided to try it on their own. Perhaps they tried some powerful-sounding words. They may have made official-looking motions. After all, they had once been commissioned for this sort of work. Why bother the master? We can handle it.
We also learn in a few verses that the root of the problem may have been that the disciples were jockeying for position. Pride and arrogance completely destroy any spiritual climate that might lead to healing and freedom. One can have all the proper motions and words, but if they are expressed in a spirit of pride among men who envy one another, it really amounts to a victory for the Enemy.
So there they were when Jesus came down the mountain, waving their arms and shouting commands, all to no avail. It may have looked silly. (Not that religious folks ever look silly...) But suddenly, this scene seems like another we remember at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Do you remember when the Israelites got tired of waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain and chose to fashion a god for themselves?
Perhaps the disciples were just slightly embarrassed to be caught worshiping a "golden calf" of competitive self-sufficiency. Ever been there? Suddenly found to be trying in your own strength to make a "God event" happen? Sometimes, we can boldly seek to "take authority" over things in a way that is more about pride than surrender. We may think God has to show up if we can get the formula right. The elements of what we attempt may be perfectly right-- confess the sin, anoint with oil, bind the Enemy. But this is only possible if our ritual has become our golden calf.
Jesus cleared things up. This one must come out with prayer. Real prayer, not that fake stuff. It doesn't even take a lot of faith. "Help my unbelief," the man said. This kind comes out with genuine prayer. Real prayer does not manipulate. Real prayer dismisses pride utterly. Real prayer comes in absolute humility. Real prayer has relatively few words. Real prayer brings the boy to Jesus. Real prayer connects with real power.

Lord, forgive my religious arrogance... again. Far too often, I have been sure I could do a God event without God. Teach me to wait as long as necessary to bring a need into Your presence. I come now in humility, as much as I can. I seek You in real prayer. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.