Time With God – Prayer
The disciples were having a lot of success casting out demons and performing other miracles. But they were having a problem casting the demon out of this one boy. When Jesus came upon them he asked them questions to understand what was going on. When the father of the boy asks Jesus to help if he can, Jesus replies, “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes.” – Mark 9:23. He then proceeded to command the impure spirit to come out of the boy. The evil spirit shrieked, convulsed, then violently came out. And when the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t drive it out…
Scripture:
“He told them, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.’.” – Mark 9:29
Observation/Application:
And in this great lesson we see Jesus teaching others that they need to spend more time in prayer and fasting. A higher level result requires a higher level commitment. God puts you through the fire. It’s how you respond to the fire that determines the result. If you stay on the path, and spend more time with the Lord by reading scripture and learning about Him, then your relationship will deepen with Him. And the closer you get to God, the more You will be like Him. He is all powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, Creator of time, Father Almighty, Maker of all things, Redeemer, perfect in every way. Spending time with God is how we will see more miracles in our lives.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 we read to, “pray continually”. Some other translations include, “Never stop praying” and “Pray without ceasing”. Prayer is our direct line to heaven. It is our way to talk directly to God. How often do we truly leverage this powerful tool? Do we ask Him what to do before making a decision on what we are going to do, or what we should say? Or are we making most of the decisions during the day and only calling on Him when we are failing? Let us never forget that God is always with us, right here and right now, and leverage His wisdom, power, strength in our lives at all times and in all circumstances.
The other aspect of this lesson is fasting, but that is a topic for another day. For more information on the benefits and importance of fasting, search our archive of great content. Have a great day. I call you blessed.
#Ask-God-What-To-Do
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, we give all honor and glory to You this beautiful morning. Today is the day that you have made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Fill our hearts and minds with your wisdom and peace and love. Light a fire in us, and guide us that our light will shine for the world to see. Help us spread the great news of Jesus Christ. Use us Lord, that we can help cure the cancer of our minds. Fill us with wisdom that we might lead others to Jesus, and to You heavenly Father. We receive all of your Promise now. Fill us with your goodness Lord so there is more of You and less of me. Help us to reach out to you for guidance in all of our decisions Lord. Protect us Lord. You know our hearts. Guide every Word from our tongue, and our every thought. Let every action be done in love. Let your Holy Spirit flow through us like water. We thank you for all that you have done and are doing on our behalf. And we thank you for using us for the glory of Your Holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Today’s full reading: Numbers 30,31; Mark 9
Image courtesy of: Guppydas