INCREASE MY FAITH

MARK 9:14-32

A man in the crowd said, Master, I've brought my son. I beg you please look at him, he's lunatic and he's my only child. He has a dumb spirit, and it makes him suddenly cry out and convulse and foam and gnash his teeth, and it grieves him so badly. I brought him to your disciples and asked them to cast him out and they couldn't.

Jesus said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you and how long will I put up with you? Bring him here to me. When they brought him, the spirit inside the boy threw the boy and he fell on the ground helpless. Jesus asked the boy’s father, How long ago did this happen to him? The man answered, Since he was a child. Sometimes he falls in the water or into the fire to destroy him, but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us. Jesus said, If you can believe, all things are possible to those who believe.

The father of the child cried out and said to Jesus with tears, Lord, I believe, increase my faith!

The people crowded around and Jesus rebuked the foul spirit, saying, you dumb and deaf spirit, I order you, come out of him, and enter him no more. The spirit cried and threw him violently and came out of him and left him so weak that people thought he was dead, But Jesus took him by the hand and he stood up, and Jesus gave the child back to his father. The people were all amazed at the mighty power of God.

The disciples took Jesus aside into the house and asked Him in private, Why couldn't we cast him out? Jesus answered them, Because of your unbelief. I tell you truly, if you have faith as tiny as a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move over there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind of spirit only comes out by prayer and fasting.

Now, here's something you have to consider too. Doubt can grow, just as faith can. If you have doubt as tiny as a grain of mustard seed, it can prevent things from being possible, that would be normally be completely possible if faith was the seed planted instead.

Jesus and His disciples then left for Galilee and He told his Apostles ... The Son of man will be turned over to men that will kill Him and the third day, He will be raised again.

They didn't know what He meant by that, but they knew it didn't sound good, and they were terribly troubled and sad about it, but God continued to keep the meaning of it hidden from them and they were afraid to ask Jesus to explain it.

So, what did we learn? Faith is a powerful thing! It's good to pray for increased faith. Jesus said, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. What beautiful words those are. Oh, and one more thing, if you pray for God to increase someone else's faith, you can cause miracles to happen. Look and see! II Corinthians 1:11 and Acts 12:5-11.