They tried. They really tried. And it created conflict.
A man heard how Jesus and his disciples were healing people and casting out demons. His son was throwing himself into the water and fire as the demons were trying to take his life.
But when he came to the disciples, they prayed and nothing happened. Nothing. And no small crowd was arguing with them about it but rather “a great crowd.”
The father was discouraged. His hope was shot down again. That is until he saw Jesus.
After they explained the situation to Jesus, the father asked Jesus if he could heal his son.
And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Understandably the father was discouraged. But Jesus provoked him to have faith. And the father’s answer is a beautiful prayer for us all.
But then Jesus went on to deliver his son from the demons. But the disciples were frustrated and perplexed.
“And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
Certainly they had prayed in the moment.
And they had even been successful delivering demons in the past.
But it would seem like there may be different levels of the demonic (Eph 6:12). And for this demon it wasn’t enough to pray in the moment.
Their well of prayer and fasting was not deep enough to handle this one. There had not been enough cultivation in the secret places.
In God’s grace and mercy, God still works through many of his people to take care of easy situations. But if we want to tackle the bigger issues and the bigger demons and have the more powerful anointing, that only comes in the secret places with the Lord.
Let’s dig deeper.
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The Text of Mark 9:14-29
14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”
19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.
21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.”
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”