January 14

Power And Prayer

“It often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” “If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!” — Mark 9:22-23 BSB

In Jesus’ life, there was no separation between communion with God and serving human needs. Like Raphael's painting of the Transfiguration, which shows both the mountain of glory and the valley of human need, the heart must be lifted to Heaven and then return to meet the needs of the world.

How many people today are troubled by forces that destroy their peace and health! How often do we, like this man's father, bring our loved ones to people who cannot help because they have not been filled with the Holy Spirit. Without God's power, we are helpless in the face of such evil. Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8).

Jesus also redirected the responsibility back to the father. The man said, "If you can do anything..." But Jesus replied, "It is not a question of My power but of your faith. Can you believe?" The father responded, "I fear my faith is not strong enough, but I trust You to create it in me. Help my unbelief."

Often, we fail in our faith because of ignorance or sin. God's power surrounds us, but we can't tap into it. Like electricity, it cannot flow through a broken connection. Faith is the connection we need to bring God's power to a world in need. When our faith falters, we can turn to Christ and say, "I trust You for faith. Help my unbelief."

Prayer

Lord, we open our hearts to receive Your fullness. If our capacity is small, we pray that You would enlarge it, so we miss nothing You have for us. We know we are never limited by You, but only by ourselves. Amen.