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Mar 21, 2023 18:30pm

We Can Do Nothing Without God

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“No, my do it!”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard my nephew say that. When Christopher was little, he was determined to do things on his own. He watched and learned and believed he could do it, but he didn’t want any help.

And in his own strength, he failed.

Whether it was pouring a glass of juice, opening a bottle, or fixing a toy, he was determined, but would always come up short. He would get frustrated and angry that he couldn’t do it. Many times, he would keep beating at the toy as if that would help. Or he would give up and cry because he spilled something. And every once in a while, he would call out and say “Cookie, help!”

And I was right there. I wanted to help all along. He could not do these things on his own. He needed me, but he just didn’t know it yet.

In the book of Mark chapter 9, the disciples are with a crowd of people. In this crowd are scribes and a man with a great need. His son has been possessed by a demon for many years and he tells Jesus that he asked the disciples to heal him, but they couldn’t.

Jesus responds with an emotional exclamation – “O faithless generation!” He then tells the father, “If thou can believe, all things are possible to him that believe.” The father cries out and declares his belief and asks the Lord to help him with his unbelief and Jesus commands the evil spirit to come out of the boy and everyone thinks the boy is dead. But He takes him by the hand and lifts him up, and the boy rises.

While this is an incredible miracle to say the least, here is the focus of our study today.

“And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:28-29)

The disciples were confused. Jesus had sent them out before in pairs and had given them power to heal and cast out demons and they were successful. So why not now? Why couldn’t they do this?

They were trusting in themselves and not in the power of God.

We can do nothing without God.

That’s it. That’s the point.

And Jesus tells them point blank how they receive that power – prayer and fasting.

Prayer is our communication with God. The moment we bow our head in humility and speak those words to the Lord, we are showing our belief. If you didn’t believe, why would you talk to someone who isn’t there?

Prayer is also a time when we listen for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. He directs us to a passage of scripture by bringing it to mind or we recall something that was said in a devotional recently and the scripture that went with it.

Jesus told them if they wanted to be successful, they could only do so with His help.

We are just like a little toddler trying to do it all on our own, getting frustrated when it doesn’t work out the way we had hoped. And no matter how much we try or what we do, it fails.

But when we call out to the Father through prayer and fasting, He is there to empower us.

Friend, you can’t do it alone. Whatever it is, it won’t work without the help of the Almighty Father. Only by the power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can we accomplish anything.

Believe. Pray. Fast.

This is the only way.