Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (MK 9.24)
The son of the man who uttered this prayer twisted and convulsed at Jesus’ feet, foaming at the mouth and grinding his teeth. He’d suffered this heartbreaking affliction since childhood, sometimes tumbling into fire or water. Imagine his father’s constant grief, anxiety and stress. After all these years, the father’s faith barely registered on the scale. He wasn’t even sure that this reputed miracle-worker could do anything. After all, the man’s disciples hadn’t helped his tormented son. His doubt-filled request to Jesus was: “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
If I had been Jesus, I would have said, “Nice try, Jack. Come back when you’re a little more convinced of my love and power.”
But instead of turning him away, Jesus encouraged him to have faith: “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” To which the man honestly admitted, “I believe, but I’ve got a whole lot of doubt, too. Help my unbelief.” Amazingly, Jesus replied: “I’ll take that. I’ll take your mustard seed of faith and work with it.” It’s almost like Jesus ignored his vast unbelief but grabbed his speck of faith as if it were monumental. Then, unleashing his power through that particle of faith, Jesus healed his son.
This story encourages me, because so often my faith would fit in a thimble.
But Jesus doesn’t require barn-sized faith. All he needs is a mustard seed’s worth.
So whatever you’re praying for, be it the salvation of a parent who’s never darkened a church’s doorway, or a teen who rolls his eyes every time you talk about Jesus, an impossible health condition, or a mountain-sized financial need, bring your thimble of faith to Jesus, for that’s all he needs. Confess your unbelief and ask him to help you trust him. Ask him to increase your faith.
Rivet your eyes, not on your impossible situation or on your peewee faith, but on Jesus. He’s waiting to pour out his power.
Photo by wade from oklahoma
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for this encouragement! This story has always been helpful to me as I have prayed for things that I knew deep down i didn’t really believe God would do. Realizing that as I am praying I am doubting God’s willingness to answer me. But as I think about this man who in honesty told Jesus that he was trying to belive but was struggling, it encourages me to cry out to my Savior the same way. To admit that sometimes I don’t believe and I need His grace to fill in HUGE gap that the little faith that I have leaves. And then to thank Him because the thimble sized faith that I do have is because of His grace as well.
What an edifying reminder that it’s not about us but it’s all about Jesus!
I screw it up so many times, yet the Lord always amazingly takes care of everything, including the most minute detail and all of this gasp! without me doing anything except trusting Him and believing Him. This passage of Scripture has always brought so much encouragement, just knowing that even a flicker of my faith is enough for God to work and show His amazing power and strength in my life! He’s truly amazing and worthy of all praise!
I get so caught up in thinking that I actually have something to offer to God, like He really needs my help!!
Thanks for such a great start to the week! The Blazing Center and a great cup of coffee… life is good!!
Blessings
Ron Reffett
Wow, what a beautiful reminder. I am amazed at the grace of Jesus in that moment and it is such an encouragement to me consistently during times of doubt. I use this passage in prayer a lot. Thank you for posting this. I loved what you said about Jesus taking the small faith that we have and using it to perform miracles even though our doubt is much more immense. For faith may be small, but faith is far greater in power than doubt.
Mark, thanks. yet again…
this verse always encourages me too… to see that God’s power doesn’t demand mountain sized faith from me. that’s something that i’ve been learning lately – that His power is not hindered by my weakness. and its funny, as I see come to know more of that, I find my faith growing. Faith in Him, not faith in my great faith.
truths like this give me more confidence to ask God to answer prayers, fully aware that my faith is weak, but my God is great! thanks!
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for your comments – great reminder that even the small amount faith we have is from Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, not from us.
Hi Ron,
Thanks again for your encouragement. Amazing how Jesus is capable of handling all the details without us! If only we could keep remembering that. I agree about the coffee – God’s common grace!
Hey Jessica,
Thanks for commenting. “Faith is far greater in power than doubt” – Amen.
Wow what an encouragement. I find to often that I fail to even ask God for something because I believe it to be impossible, but then I’m reminded by the Spirit, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” When that hits me (and of course it hits me over and over again because I never remember from one hard situation to another that God IS FAITHFUL!) I have to stop and pray and bring my “impossible” request before an all powerful God. Thanks for the reminder!
Amen and Amen. oh, and AMEN.
Thanks Emily!
Hello Mark. Please excuse the late comment, just today I discovered your blog. In the last year God has opened my eyes to what I now know to be called the doctrine of grace. Before, I had no idea of the significance of sin and therefore had no real understanding of grace. Now I do (at least MUCH more than before!) As much as I hate to admit it, I still struggle with with fully embracing grace and I don’t know why. I want so much to embrace it, to rest in it and yet I feel much like that father in Mark that you wrote about above, “I believe, but I’ve got a lot of doubt too.” And my prayer too is a cry for God to help me in my unbelieve. Is this ok? Something as important as accepting/believing God’s grace…? I want so very much to believe and yet the doubts…fears remain…
Hi Sonya,
Praise God that he’s revealing the incredible doctrines of grace and sin! Jesus will change your life through these doctrines, just like he changed mine. Both are wonderful doctrines. Your prayer is music to Jesus’ ears and he will definitely help you to believe in his incredible grace. When we confess our sins (of unbelief) he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. And he loves to pour out faith into our lives. The doctrine of grace takes a while to fully believe and trust, since we are so “wired” to think we must justify ourselves by our own works. But Jesus has done ALL the work, and we must trust in the perfection of his work, which God credits to us as if we had done it.
I’d recommend CJ Mahaney’s book, Living the Cross-Centered Life, and Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem (especially pertinent chapters on grace).
Sonya, it is Jesus’ will and good pleasure to help you believe the doctrines of grace. He will answer your prayers!
Thanks Mark. I’ll look for those books you’ve suggested.
You’re welcome, Sonya!