Mark 9:24, “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

For those who don’t believe in God, and also believe a Christian is one of those folks who are and were “always religious” and faithful, it might surprise you that they were unbelievers just like you. They struggled just like you with God, and His existence. And it might further surprise you that some claim to be Christians, but because they were deceived most likely by a false church, they continue to struggle with their belief in God even though they go to church each Sunday.

The struggle is natural based on man’s fallen nature. You were told God exists, but where is He? Your questions might be “why is there all this suffering and heartache we go through?”. But if you think about it, that doesn’t negate God’s existence, RATHER it confirms it if you understand that this world is sinful and fallen just as the Bible teaches and we are under judgment based on sin.

Be that as it may, I will give you a practical question on God’s existence. Have you ever been through a very dark period, a pain, a heartache, a health crisis, a near death experience, a tremendous loss, any suffering, a financial crisis, a job loss? If so, how did you go on with your life? Was it just your will power? Because if it was, why couldn’t you just make the crisis go away by that will power? Why couldn’t you prevent the death of a loved one or heal your sick child in an instant? Why couldn’t you stop the car that barrelled through the stop light and smashed into you? Why couldn’t you stop the tornado or hurricane which destroyed everything you owned? You can’t!

In the above AWESOME verse (if you ask me, one the most awesome in all of the Bible), the child of the father realized this upon his demon possessed child. He’d most likely give up his own life, if it meant saving his child from this torment, but it was out of his control. He couldn’t heal his child, all he could do is love the child, comfort the child, but he could NOT make the demon go away. It was out of his control and power to do anything. And if you can relate, you WANT to FIX the problem, but you can’t, it is a HELPLESS SICK feeling that encompasses you.

The response was in to what Jesus said to him “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” The father then realized what Jesus was saying by “if you CAN believe”. He was unable to do so, so his simple humble prayer was “help my unbelief”. It wasn’t “Lord I believe, I even go to church on Sundays, so take the demon away”, no, he was honest and truthful in that moment of feeling POWERLESS with his child, and for the first time he probably believed God actually existed. He admitted that he struggled with God in this belief and needed HELP, to be enabled to believe. Jesus then cast out the demon.

You see, it isn’t those times when you are on top of the world, when you are in control of your life, that you will turn to God and believe He exists, that there is a supreme power controlling everything. It is when He takes that perceived control and power out of you, so that you realize He alone is in control, He is the power behind the crisis, He alone can make the crisis go away.

And in His infinite benevolence based on His love and mercy, He has done this with unbelievers and believers alike MANY TIMES OVER. The difference is the believer realizes WHO was behind the cure, the unbeliever still believes in luck, chance, Karma, superstition. But in the END, as sure as the sun rose this morning, ALL will know who that POWER was, it was always the Almighty Supreme God and by His supernatural power worked all things to His glory and purpose! He is the sovereign King of kings, and Lord of lords!

If you struggle with God to believe, say that simple humble prayer “Lord I believe, help my unbelief”! And then always remember the PROMISE of Jesus “all things are possible to him who believes.” Which naturally has a logical opposite meaning of “all things are IMPOSSIBLE to him who does NOT believe”.