ODJ: not an option
November 27, 2010
Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer” (v.29).
READ: Mark 9:14-29
Last Sunday, we gave our 7-year-old congregation a spiritual challenge—to join together in an on-site, 24-hour prayer chain. Each person was asked to consider signing up to pray for 30 minutes. Nearly 100 people signed up to participate through prayer! We gave our congregation this challenge because, unlike the disciples in Mark 9, we did not want our ministry effort to be an embarrassing failure because it lacked the power of God that comes through prayer.
The scene in Mark 9 opens with Jesus, Peter, James, and John descending from the mountain where Jesus had been transfigured. They came to the foot of the mountain, only to find the scribes arguing with the disciples who had remained behind. What were they arguing about? The argument was probably motivated by the disciples’ failure to cast out a demon from a boy.
No doubt their public failure and subsequent humiliation seemed curious and strange to the disciples, for they had been given authority to cast out demons (3:14-15) and had been successful in doing so (6:7, 12-13). Jesus sighed in frustration at the faithlessness of the disciples, the scribes, the crowd, and the troubled father, and ultimately healed the boy. In the debriefing session, the disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast out the demon (9:28-29). Jesus zeroed in on the cause of their failure—they were fruitless in this ministry endeavor because they had failed to pray.
Like the disciples, as believers in Jesus we’re sometimes guilty of self-sufficiency due to our abilities, knowledge, skill, and past successes. But it’s extremely dangerous to do God’s work without His power. To experience the power of God in our lives and spiritual efforts, we must not see prayer as optional, but as an absolute necessity. Let’s depend on God—not on our technique and skill.
—Marvin Williams
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your prayer life? What are some actions you need to take today to improve it?
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As Marvin explained,”to experience the power of God in our lives and spiritual efforts, we must not see prayer as optional, but as an absolute necessity. Let’s depend on God—not on our technique and skill”…this saying reminded me of the small little tag that many people like to tag it onto the windscreen of their vehicle. This one really caught my attention, “God is our first priority and not our last option”
I, for once… pondered and contemplated with this phrase and gave a deep thought and realized that indeed it is true. To me, I have been doing everything on my own thinking that I have an excellent ability and gifts and sometimes have forgotten that all my gifts comes from the Almighty. I can plan well coupled with good sense of direction but failed to realized that I must submit all my plans to the Lord and ask of Him to allow it to be established..(Submit your plans to the Lord and it will be established…Proverbs), please excuse me as I can recalled many verses from the Bible however could not really quote the exact Chapter and verses.
I failed many a times due to my arrogance and soon realized that God is the determiner…He determines everything in our life and if we failed to realize this, we truly need to seek God and ask for His forgiveness..I have since learn to pray each day submitting all my plans to the Lord for success, sometimes you get it and sometimes you don’t. Just like a child’s request to the parents, sometimes they get it and sometimes they don’t as not everything that is being requested is the right thing…what more our Heavenly father who is so much full of love for us…
If it is the will of God, then we received His blessings and if it is not, do not despair for God knows what is best for us..therefore “in everything, go to the Lord in PRAYER”
God bless