Mark 9:24 “The boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’”
An Indian woman in South America was dying and a few Indian Christians and missionaries gathered to pray for her. She slipped into a coma and looked like a lost cause. When the missionaries had left, the Indian Christians organized another time of prayer for the lady, but this time without the missionaries. The sick woman was completely healed. Later, one missionary asked why they had not been invited to the second prayer meeting. “Because you don’t really believe, and you cannot heal by God’s power when you have unbelievers in the circle.”
The missionary who shared this story which highlighted his own weaknesses later wrote: “I am now deeply aware that my western spiritless culture has given me an acute hearing defect to the voice of the Holy Spirit.”
I can relate to him. I know God is Almighty, yet I’m so often cynical, doubting, skeptical, as a by-product of my background. You too, no doubt. One of my friends was deaf, dumb, blind, and curled up in a ball for seven years. Everyone knew Agnes as the village vegetable. But one day some young people prayed for her. She uncurled herself, and regained her sight and hearing. She still couldn’t speak, but joined the church choir by faith… and three weeks later, the Lord released her tongue to sing his praises, and she will not shut up! She’s been on the radio telling the world.
You can’t deny a story… or can you? Are you struggling to believe what happened to Agnes? I’ve got lots more of those stories. Or maybe they’re reserved for Africa? No! God is the same the world over. Maybe the difference out here is there’s more faith and expectancy and openness. There are no easy answers or guaranteed formulae, but the best place to start is where the boy’s father above did:
Lord, help me overcome my unbelief today. Amen!
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