Praying and Fasting

“So He said to them, ‘This kind can only come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.’” Mark 9:29

I remember sharing this verse in my previous sermon, but I wanted to share this verse as I spent some time reading on this story once again. These days I can’t help but to emphasize the importance of prayer. The reason I say this is because I realize more than ever that I cannot do anything on my own.

Before Jesus tells the disciples to ‘pray and fast,’ the text tells us about this father who desperately wanted his son to be healed from this mute spirit. Jesus tells the father, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (verse 23)

The father sensed there is nothing he can do but to put his faith in what Jesus said. Thus his response, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (verse 24) The father did two things here: 1) He admitted of his state of unbelief, 2) and he now decides to believe in Jesus and what He can do for him.

But it wasn’t the case for the disciples that tried to heal the boy. They didn’t feel helpless. Remembering their past experience of healing the demon-possessed people, they believed in themselves, not in Jesus. That’s why Jesus told the disciples, “O faithless generation!” (verse 19)

The remedy for the disciples was a quite simple one, to ‘pray and fast.’ I read the following quote from this certain blog. Ellen White writes, “The greatest blessing that God can give to man is the spirit of earnest prayer. All heaven is open before the man of prayer. The prayers offered in humble faith will be heard” (The Review & Herald, Oct. 20, 1896, par. 15).

Wow, isn’t that powerful? Let us ask God today that we have the heart to pray to God. That is what we really need.