¹⁷ A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. ¹⁸ Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” ¹⁹ “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” ²⁰ So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. ²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. ²² “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” ²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

In this story a man brings his demon-possessed son to the disciples, who are unable to heal him.  He asks Jesus ‘if you can do anything for him take pity him and help him.  Jesus’s response is given in Mark 9:23-24.  I have often been intrigued by the man’s claim to both belief and unbelief at the same time.  Is that possible? Consider the scene – a man who has watched his son overcome with torturous spirits since childhood – the helplessness, pain, and loss of control.  Then the disciples – taught by Jesus himself – unable to heal him.  You can’t wonder that the man has some doubt.  But beyond his doubt, deep in his spirit, is faith in Jesus and his ability to heal  This is often the way – circumstances, past experiences, and our emotions build up a cloud of doubt.  That’s when we need to bypass those things and find the faith that lives in our spirit – allow it to rise up and act, influencing our choices and decisions.  What about you – what area of life do you struggle with lingering doubt?  Find some life-affirming verses and begin to speak the truth into your spirit.  Stay strong in the Lord, and learn, if necessary to live with doubt, but to put it aside and allow your spirit to take ownership of your problems.

Try this:

What causes you to doubt God’s goodness, his provision, his ability to answer your prayers?  In what circumstance might you need to bypass your mind and your emotions, and rely instead on the spirit within you? Find some verses that bring truth into this area of your life and begin speaking them out regularly until the truth is ‘grounded’ in your spirit.

Have a listen to this song as you think about today’s reflection.  God is Faithful – even when we have doubts.

(1) Faithful One So Unchanging | Bethel AG Band | God Works Production – YouTube

^“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

The season of Lent is often associated with fasting – not necessarily from food, but from something that is sacrificial to give up – Coffee?  TV?  Wine?  We take our model from Jesus, whose ministry started with 40 days of fasting and praying in the desert, followed by temptation from Satan.  It is interesting to note that his ministry ended with an admonition to his disciples to pray against temptation, in Matthew 26:41.  What is it that links fasting, prayer and temptation? I believe the clue is in the second half of this verse – ‘the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak’.  It is our ‘fleshly selves’ that get tempted – our natural desires and emotional needs can tempt us into wrong behaviour that the spirit condemns.  When we pray, our spirit communicates with God’s spirit – drawing strength, encouragement and instruction from Him.  When I am tempted to despair I pray for hope.  When I am tempted to give up I pray for perseverance.  When I am tempted by unbelief I pray for faith. What about you?  What temptation do you need to watch for and pray about?  I am confident that God has the answer in prayer, waiting for you.  Let us, like Jesus, adopt a lifestyle of prayer, staying watchful and prayerful, and being strengthened and encouraged to a life free of temptation.

Try this:

Consider the day ahead – what temptations might you face today?  What do you need from God to resist them?  Spend some time asking God to equip you for your day, and for whatever lies ahead, so that your spirit is both willing and strong enough to make Godly choices and resist temptation.

Have a listen to this song as you think about today’s reflection.  Praise to the God who delivers us from temptation.

(1) The Lord’s Prayer – Hillsong Worship – YouTube

Do you want to go deeper in prayer?  This online Prayer Course, written by Pete Grieg (founder of the 24-7 International Prayer movement) will take you through the Lord’s Prayer in 8 short sessions.

Sessions | The Prayer Course – The Prayer Course

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

As a child in the Catholic Church, my sisters and I were always required to ‘give up something’  for Lent.  Invariably, it was sweets.  For 40 long days and nights, we had to go without sweets and sugary treats of any kind. Then, on Easter Sunday, our long fast was rewarded by a basket of chocolate Easter eggs.  As an adult I have moved beyond giving up sweets for Lent, but have kept the habit of Lenten fasting. This year I have decided to give up negative speech – complaints, gossip, irritation, anger.  It has not taken me long to realize that negative words begin with negative thoughts.  Much harder to control!  Then I remembered Philippians 4:8.  My solution is to try and replace any negative thought with a positive one. I then have a choice to either say nothing, or better yet, to say something positive that will bless others.  With the help of the Holy Spirit I am going to work on changing my thinking  so that I can change my speech.  What about you – are you willing to give it a try?  Just for a day?  My prayer is that God will change and shape my thoughts and my heart to become more like His.

Your to-do for today:

Ask the Holy Spirit to prompt you whenever you are tempted to speak in a negative way – stop and examine your thoughts and then remember Philippians 4:8.  Can you of something noble, true, pure or lovely instead? What positive thing can you say that will bring light and a blessing to others?

Have a listen to these great songs as you think about today’s reflection.  God’s words are ALWAYS positive, and all his PROMISES are YES and AMEN.

Yes and Amen – Pat Barrett | Bethel Music & Housefires – YouTube

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton