What a father’s honest prayer in Mark 9 reveals about depending on Christ
This weekend’s sermon was on Mark 9, when a father asked, “Help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) It seems easy to believe on Sunday when you are surrounded by your local body. Come Thursday, when an underperforming team is just struggling and can not get out of their own way, where is your belief? Do you reflect Christ in handling the situation? There is a phrase, “Be a thermostat, not a thermometer.” Or, put another way, do you absorb the temperature of the room, or set it? By the time Thursday rolls around, if the week has not been in the Word, with quiet time and prayer missing, did the leadership thermostat turn into a thermometer? When I catch myself, I’m like where did my belief go? Then I realized, where did Christ go. The Omnipresent God was there, I just wasn’t and left Jesus at church.
He replied to them, “You unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me.” So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. “How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father. “From childhood,” he said. “And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”
Mark 9:19-24
If You Can?
In this passage, the father brought a sick child to the only person who could heal him. Well, sort of. The father says “But if you can…” to Jesus. (v22) This exchange is interesting. The father is looking for compassion, grace, and intervention. But caveats it with “if you can.” How often do we leave Jesus out of our decision, not thinking “he can,” or not even having the boldness or humility to ask?
This is not about a word-of-faith movement within the workplace. This is about humbly giving the situation to the Lord, asking for intervention. Going back to the struggling team, as leaders, do we ask the Lord for wisdom and to step into that situation, or is our response “if you can…”?
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The Monday Disconnect
We have compartmentalized our faith. We have private time. Encouraged to have a personal relationship with Christ. We watch our favorite speaker until they are no longer relevant. Church culture reminds us of this constantly. We live in an individualistic culture. While these, in and of themselves, are not bad, Scripture uses familial language, as this is a communal journey with Christ at the center of it. I will be the first to admit, I seek prayer and counsel in large decisions. Or when the dumpster fire is well underway, and the thermometer has exploded; it’s such a hot situation. I find myself thinking, Lord, can you get me out of this if you can?
Then I am convicted. Where was my time in prayer, spending time in the Word before starting my day, and asking for wisdom to be the thermostat? Upon further reflection, my spiritual disciplines were out the window. Don’t get me wrong, these should not feel legalistic but part of genuine soul care. John 15 reminds us to abide with Christ. These practices help us stay connected to Him.
The Father’s Prayer
Going back to the text, we see the father hold nothing back. Including his lack of faith. He was fully transparent with the all-knowing Christ. You can hear the pain this father has over his tormented son. The situation was clear, he was begging for mercy and compassion. The text does not tell us what the father did prior to this point. We just know that he had nowhere else to go but to Christ.
When I face that struggling team on Thursday, what would it mean to seek Christ’s help before I set the room’s temperature? How would that change the way I treat them? Do we have a similar prayer?
Father, forgive me for trying to lead what you have given me on my own strength. I know you are sovereign over all things, including my workplace. Please give me wisdom to lead in a way that reflects and glorifies you. Discernment to make God-honoring decisions. Give me enough success to see you move and not lose hope. Give me enough struggle to keep me humble and dependent on you. Amen
Are we as transparent and petition the Lord with such raw emotion? This passage convinces me to bring more to the Lord in prayer during the week.
