God works wonders through people of prayer.
• Why? Because people of prayer knows God’s heart; they understand His will, and they trust Him.
• People of prayer have faith in God, because they have been spending time with Him. They have an intimate relationship with God.
This morning, we will look at a passage that helps us understand this – Mark 9:14-29.
Jesus came down from the mountain with 3 of His disciples – Peter, James and John.
• They joined the rest of the disciples at the foot of the mount, and saw a crowd.
• They were having an argument. It was about a boy who was possessed and the disciples were unable to help.
The father describes the son’s condition to Jesus. It was unimaginable.
• No one can control him. He was beyond any human help or efforts.
• The situation is even worse because the boy is a deaf mute. Jesus rebukes the “deaf and mute spirit” (v.25).
• He cannot hear the parents' cries of warning. Talk all you want and he cannot hear you. Counselling sessions are useless.
• The boy himself cannot even cries for help. We can’t hear him.
• Even the disciples were at a loss. They do not know what to do.
Do you sense how helpless the father is?
• Have you ever come to the end of your road and realise you have nowhere else to turn to, when you’ve exhausted all human efforts and means?
• The father turns to Jesus and cries out, “Take pity on us and help us.” (9:22)
• Sometimes God forces us to the end of ourselves in order to get us to look up to Him.
• Saying: “The end of man’s way is the beginning of God’s."
And Jesus does the impossible. He cures him.
• He said to the father, “‘If you can’?” a quote from what the father said. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
• The issue is not on God’s side. God is powerful enough to do the impossible.
• The issue is on man’s side. Jesus says in verse 19, "O unbelieving generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?"
Verse 28 tells us: “After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?”
• Dear brothers and sisters, that's our question too: Why can't we do it? Why can't we ask God for the seemingly impossible and see it done? Why can't we pray and ask God to do something and see it happen?
This wasn’t the first time the disciples were confronted with such kind of problem.
• Look at Mark 6:7-13. Verse 7: “Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.”
• Verse 12-13 “They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.”
Did they expect it to happen this time? Yes. The reason they asked Jesus privately shows that they were surprised it did not happen.
• Why didn't it happen? Is it because they didn't believe? No, they have previous encounters like this. Is it because, well, it's just not God's will? It was God's will. Jesus did it.
• In our times, some may say, well, God doesn't do this kind of things today; this is an age in which He doesn't do that? But Jesus says in John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
• When Paul writes to the Ephesians, he says he prays that they will know God’s great power for those who believe; the same power God used to raise Jesus from the dead. (Eph 1:19-20)
So why didn’t we see it happening here with the disciples?
• Jesus’ answer in verse 29 is enlightening: “This kind can come out only by prayer.” (Some older manuscripts put ‘prayer and fasting’)
• Obviously He was not referring the words to say there-and-then. He was not talking about a formula.
• He was referring to something you need to be doing before the confrontation with the demon.
• He was referring to a prayer life. The one, who have been spending time with God, will grow to have the kind of faith required to do greater things for God. The one who prays understand God’s will and ways.
The disciples had this problem - they have gotten used to treating prayer like a formula.
• Just say the right words; use the right method and everything will be fine, very much like waving a magic wand.
• But it’s not about the words you say or a formula you use.
• Look at Acts 19:13-16 “13Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15[One day] the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
It’s about a relationship. And this intimate relationship with God can only happen when you spend time with Him.
• Jesus himself exemplifies that. He prays regularly and spend long hours with the Father. He says he speaks only what the Father tells him to say and even how to say it. He says He always do what pleases the Father. (John 8:28-30; 12:48-50)
• He was in constant connection with the Father. There wasn’t any dropped call, the line was always on. He was prepared to fight the demons anytime, because He has a close and strong relationship with the Father.
• We develop that kind of intimacy through prayer.
People of prayer will have the faith to do great things for God.
• And by prayer Jesus means a lifestyle of prayer, a habit of prayer, a lingering on a daily basis in the presence of God.
• He's not saying this kind of stuff will happen if you just call a quick prayer meeting. That's not what he's talking about.
• Jesus did not say, "Bring the boy to me, now let's pause a minute. Let’s pray. I'm about ready to do something." No. He had been in prayer, even before this encounter.
What Jesus is saying is that the man or woman of prayer, to those who linger in God's presence, will be able to see great things happening through them.
• Through a lifestyle of prayer, they have such intimacy with God that God's thoughts, God's intentions, God's desires, God's will become known to him and in that knowledge they are able to do greater things for God.
Let’s cultivate a lifestyle of prayer this year.
• Develop that relationship with the Lord by spending more time in His presence, in prayer.
• The chance to see God doing the impossible awaits the man or woman who prays.
Many of us can identify with the disciples here.
• We know Christ but our walk is lukewarm and our ministry not often effective.
• The disciples made the mistake of thinking that the power to minister effectively in Jesus' name was inherent in them.
• This was a subtle form of unbelief, because they began to trust in themselves rather than in God.
Jesus reminded them that it was not them but God who has the power to overcome evil.
• Their relationship with Him, their trust in Him is critical.
• Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
• It was only when the disciples failed, that they learned they did not possess any power of themselves.
• The power and strength they needed belongs entirely to God and must be received from Him through a life of dependent prayer.
• They need to learn from Jesus, not a formula, but the lifestyle of constant communion with God.
Walking closely with God is more important than learning the skills, the techniques or methods of ministry.
• Our ability to touch lives, to bring healing to the sick and wounded, comes from a life of prayer. Jesus: “If a man remains in me, he will bear much fruit.”
• We need to be always dependent upon Him, and this trusting relationship can only be cultivated through a prayer life. There is no other magic formula.
Let’s commit to grow together in this area, for this year.
• We need to develop this humble dependence upon God for all that we do.
• Whether we are serving in worship, witnessing to a friend, nurturing our young ones, we must rely on Him solely.
• We can be prepared and organized, but if we do not remain in constant connection with the source of strength, we will fail.
Some of us here this morning are like the father in this passage.
• We are helpless and we are disappointed. We do not know what to do.
• Whatever the problem, learn from the father and cry out to Jesus for help.
• Learn to trust Him. It will not be easy. It wasn’t easy for this father, but he asked the Lord to help him. Pray, “I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.”
• The good news is we need faith only the size of a mustard seed (Matt 17:20; Luke 17:6). Why did Jesus say that? Because it is not the size of our faith but the OBJECT of our faith that is important.
Nothing is impossible with God. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Jesus says (9:23)
• All things are possible to those who believe, because all things are possible to the One in whom we trust.
• God works wonders through people of prayer. So be a man or woman of prayer.
TENDING YOUR GARDEN
Suppose 2 women were planting a vegetable garden. On the same day, they prepared the earth and planted their seeds. One then neglected her garden and waited for her vegetables to grow.
The other woman worked in her garden regularly. She put cages around the young tomato plants, she drove in sticks beside those plants that were going to grow up high, and she put netting around plants that were particularly attractive to rabbits and other animals.
Several months later the 2 women went out for the harvest. One found tomatoes rotting on the ground, weeds that were choking most of the carrots – many of which had been raided by birds and squirrels. She pulled up only a handful of food and figured that planting a garden wasn’t worth it – the food wasn’t as good, the harvest was small, and, well, grocery stores were so much more convenient.
Her neighbour, however, harvested basketful of good vegetables every other day, which had a better taste than those in the grocery store. She figured that, when everything was added up, she probably saved a good 20% on her grocery bill each month.
Both women planted, but only one tended. There are Christians who have committed their lives to following Christ at about the same time; but the influence this ‘tending the garden’ commitment had on their lives soon become clear.
One lives a life of self-centredness. Christianity makes sense, but it becomes almost a convenience - no need to take it too seriously or to reorder one’s life around it.
Another person, however, takes it seriously. She makes an effort to study the Bible, and worship the Lord regularly. She keeps her prayer life fresh. And soon people are asking her for advice and help. She becomes a blessing to many. She has a ministry almost by accident.
Both planted a spiritual garden, but only one tended. If we tend our garden, we will have plenty of food with which to feed others. If we give our garden just superficial attention, we may have enough food just to feed ourselves. If we completely neglect our garden, we are going to be so hungry, we need to feed off others; we need others to help us because we are weak.
... Gary Thomas, Sacred Pathways: Discovering the Soul's Path to God (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, 2000), 215-216, 220.
Let us grow in our walk with the Lord. God works wonders through people of prayer.
