Help My Unbelief [Devotion]

“I believe Lord, help my unbelief!” How often I have and will continue to pray this prayer.

It stems from an account in the Gospel of Mark 9:14-29, “And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ And someone from the crowd answered him, ‘Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 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.’  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.’ 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. 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!’ 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.’ 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.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 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.’” (emphasis added).

I know I don’t usually include the passage but I thought it important that you got the context for this.

I think so often when we hear about this passage (if we hear about it) then we tend to focus in on Jesus’ statement “All things are possible for the one who believes.” To be clear I’m not seeking to downplay any of Jesus’ words or imply that this statement is untrue. But we should be aware that the belief He was looking for was apparently absent from the father of the child, the crowd, the teachers of the law and even His own disciples! Jesus calls them a faithless generation. But the point of this passage is not that we can do all things if we muster up enough “believing”.

The point, rather, is found in the direct interaction of Jesus and the boy’s father. I can only imagine the man’s state of fear as Jesus’ disciples have been unable to help his son. But the man presents his case before Jesus. It’s important to note the man’s statement when his son begins convulsing. “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” The man has some measure of doubt as to whether or not Jesus can help his son. I think this, if we’re honest, is often where are faith is. We know what God can do but there is still a part of us that doubts Him.

Jesus, as though emphasizing his earlier point on the faithlessness of the generation, highlights the man’s statement in what He says next. “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Some might try and fault Jesus here for lack of compassion but I think Jesus’ track record negates any attempt at that. But Jesus does have priorities that are far higher than the individual moment. Jesus healed MANY without asking these kinds of questions so there’s a reason he’s asking now. We read and see the boy being convulsed by the demon and that’s what the original audience saw but Jesus saw the hearts of those involved and in this moment he seems to be focused on the heart of this father.

Quoting the fathers doubt back to him Jesus gets to the heart of the issue, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” And the father gets it! He realizes that Jesus is calling out his lack of faith and his response is wonderful! “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” He understood, from what Jesus said, that his faith was inadequate to the task but rather than sitting there trying to “believe better” he appealed to the source and center of the belief and appealed for His aid!

Perhaps you are better off in your faith than I am (indeed I hope you are) but I think this prayer should be often on our lips as we face the uncertainties and doubts of our times. “I believe! Help my unbelief!” It’s interesting that even Paul the Apostle writes, not that he can do all things through belief or faith, but rather says “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

I’m not advocating that we should doubt and just patch it up with words. But I do know that, this side of eternity, we will all have days where our faith is not up to what’s in front of us. AND THAT’S OKAY if it causes us to turn to the Author and Finisher of our faith! What if the father of the boy, realizing his faith was insufficient, had taken his son and left until he could muster up enough faith? NO!!! And we should not look to do that either! We will always come up short so let us always draw on the One who is abundantly sufficient for our needs (including faith)!!!

As you face the challenges of this new year I’d encourage you to pray like that father. Humbly turn to Christ, realizing you don’t have what you need and say, “I believe; help my unbelief!”