Belief and Unbelief

l believe; help my unbelief! (Mark 9:24)

Mark 9:14-24; Mark 5:35-43; Luke 17:5; I John 5:4

What Is God Saying?

For the close inner circle of Christ's followers, the ones who were with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration, there was spiritual elation on the mountaintop and agonizing distress in the valley—a father looking on helplessly as his son rolls about on the ground and foams at the mouth. The father said to Jesus, ‘If You can do anything.’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe.’ The father said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief.’

How Does This Apply To Us?

It is in these striking contrasts that Jesus wants to help. He wants to show us that we can continue to have the joy of the mountaintop in the emergencies of the valley. He wants to answer our question, ‘Lord if You can,’ by saying to us, ‘Not if I can, but if you can, all things are possible to him who believes.’ He wants to emphasize, as He does in private with His disciples, that problems in the valley are handled through prayer. We need to recognize that there is an endless battle between belief and unbelief. Prayer helps us to tilt the balance in favor of belief. In Romans 10:17, Paul reminds us, ‘Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.’ Once again according to our premise, listen for the Word from God, then bring your words to God. Listen, then pray.

Pray With Me

Lord, my belief moves between hope and fear, joy and gloom, sunshine and cloud, light and shadow, faith and doubt. Bring me along that road where there will be less and less variableness in my life of faith, less and less shadow caused by turning, less and less introspection, fear, and self-preoccupation. Lord, I want to be confident in the knowledge of Your love, even in circumstances that make me doubt.

So I come to You, Lord, to resolve this interminable battle. Let me see that as light has its origin in You, so darkness has its end in You. Let me see that as light is Your nature to possess, faith is Your gift to bestow. I turn from unbelief to receive faith. I would simply turn, for the habits of unbelief make me powerless to fly, run, or even walk to You.

I face the light. I do believe in that. I do believe in You. I do believe! In giving light, You remove darkness. In giving faith, You remove doubt. You enable me to disavow the sway of unbelief. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!

In the name of Him, who said, ‘All things are possible to him who believes.’ Amen.

Moving On In The Life Of Prayer

We should not be distressed by moments of unbelief. Confronted by a world engulfed by evil, it is easy to yield to the persuasive tactics of the Great Deceiver. In prayer, we have joy and peace in the Savior's presence on the mountain and in the valley. Jesus is the light of the world. The instant light comes, darkness goes. When faith grows, doubt withers. All things are possible to him who believes. Let us keep praying, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and see how He keeps helping us with unbelief.