The Persistent Father, part 9:

"Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." (Luke 9:44 NASB)

And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes."

And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer." (Mark 9:23, 29 NASB)

(We missed an important point and are returning to verse 44 to glean it.) 

The word translated as "sink" is one that conveys the idea of laying up or storing. Another way of saying this might be "let My works soak into and through you". Jesus' intent was for the disciples to do more than let His words go in one ear and out the other. He intended for His words to "sink in" and stay there. 

Which words did Jesus want us to store?  All of them. Every word He spoke was given to us with His face looking toward the cross and His eyes focused on eternity. His words were given that we might be prepared for what is to come. This story is also related in Mark's gospel, which included a few more details. I have pulled out a few of those words of Jesus from the Mark passage. First, "all things are possible to him who believes." What does "all" include? Any manner of healing is possible. Some healing will only be accomplished in heaven, but much healing could be accomplished here on earth, if we had the faith to request it. Jesus did not put a limit on the things for which we ask, only that we should ask in the name of Jesus and for the perfect will of the Father. 

Some things "can only come out (or be healed) by prayer (or by prayer and fasting)". This is still true. Perhaps the reason we do not see miracles in our American churches today is that we are not willing to deny ourselves by fasting and praying with intensity. I am not saying that, if your prayer was not answered in the way you wanted, it was because you didn't pray hard enough or long enough. In the end, it is God's will that must be done. Our job is to humble ourselves, repent of our sins, fast and pray. 

This is a hard word for the American church, and it grieves me to say it, but we need to hear it. Let these words sink in and hold to them. Our inability to see the miraculous signs and wonders of God in this country does not mean that God is unable to do miraculous signs or wonders, nor does it mean that they are not happening. According to numerous reports from first-hand observers, the blind are regaining their sight. The deaf are regaining their hearing. The dead are being raised. These miracles are not happening as a result of medical intervention. They are happening in places where there is no medical intervention. You may have heard the saying, "When God is all you have, you learn that He is all you need." It turns out that those words are true, and people in the most remote places on earth can attest to it. They still see God move. Miracles still happen. 

Our job is to know the heart of God and not just the hand of God. When we intimately know the heart of God (faith) by allowing His words to sink in like a gentle summer rain, we, too, may begin to see our prayers answered in ways too marvelous for us to imagine. It all begins with this one thing. Let His words sink in and take root. The fruit they can bear is more marvelous we can imagine. 

The persistent father, part 4

I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not." (Luke 9:40 NASB)

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. [ But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."] (Matthew 17:19-21 NASB)

This is a heartbreaking passage. A boy had a demon that caused him to have convulsions. Sometimes it caused him to fall into the fire, sometimes into the water. His life was in jeopardy and he would almost certainly die without help. His father knew that Jesus was the only help for his son, but Jesus was on the mount of transfiguration. The father took the only option that appeared to be available to him. He took his much loved son to the disciples. 

The disciples had been given both power and authority over demons. They should have been able to heal the boy, but they could not. After Jesus did what they were powerless to do, casting the demon out and healing the boy, they went to Him and asked why they could not drive out the demon. "What happened to our power?" they were saying. Jesus was very clear. First, their faith was too little. 

The second reason they couldn't heal the boy was something they had failed to do, and it would likely have made the difference. Unfortunately, it is a failure that we often share, and is one of the reasons we see so little of the miraculous in the churches of this country. Prayer and fasting.  Jesus was clear about this. Some things will not be healed, some victories will not be achieved, except through prayer and fasting. 

In our affluent society, denying ourselves is not a popular concept, but it is not optional if we expect to have the power Christ  intended. Is there something about which you are desperate for the intervention of God? Pray and fast until you answer comes. 

Sometimes the fast that is required is a complete abstinence from all food for days at a time. Sometimes, the fast that is needed is an abstinence from a pleasure, an activity, or a food group (sweets, meat, etc). Some fasts last for a period of days or weeks, some fasts are prolonged for years. An example might be a weekly fast (of one meal or an entire day's meals) that lasts until the answer to you prayer, the intervention of God that is needed, finally arrives. 

Is there a situation about which you are powerless? Is there a need that is unmet? Perhaps what is needed is prayer and fasting. Someone has said fasting lets God know you are serious about your prayers. In fact, He knows your heart before you fast. He knows how serious you are. Perhaps what fasting does is not so much letting God know we are serious as it is letting us know we are serious. Regardless, Jesus was clear. Fasting makes a difference that nothing else can do. 

Do you lack power? Pray and fast. Do you lack victory? Pray and fast. Do you need an answer to your prayers? Pray and fast, but don't stop until God's answer comes. 

-------

Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-first-night-at-cri.html