After a year and a half, I am back at the same story that began a stirring in me to pray for someone. And once again this morning, the same story has stirred me. I have learned some things since that initial stirring . . . and this morning, the things I have learned have been reinforced.
The story is about a boy who had seizures. He had had them all his life. Naturally, the boy’s dad was encouraged when he heard about the healings that were taking place. He did what any dad would do; he brought his boy out to those who were responsible in hopes of seeing his own son healed.
Well, they tried but no healing took place. Isn’t that the way it often is? Good things happen to others but not to us. We hear of stories and would like to have one of our own but we don’t.
Fortunately this dad didn’t give up. He appealed to One who had more authority. And again fortunately, this One with the more authority got this man and his son there own story.
This One with more authority was a little perturbed at the others; His exact words to them . . . “How long shall I put up with you?”
I’m not sure what the others did exactly – or didn’t do exactly – but maybe they do a little like we do today. In our churches, when people come who need healing, we pray right then and there for God to heal them. Now I know we’re told to pray for the sick, and even in this story that Mark tells, this One with authority said, “This kind can only come out by prayer”.
But notice that this One with authority didn’t come up like we do and start praying to God; He came up, having already prayed – having already secured this authority by praying – and commanded the evil spirit that was causing the boy to have seizures, to come out.
I am a builder. I know how to build because I have done it. I don’t hope I can build; I know I can build. I have faith that I can build. Spiritually, when we refer to having faith, we can think of it more in terms of hoping. It would be like me 20 years ago, before I had ever built my first house, hoping that I could build one. It would be like me saying, ‘If you just hope enough, you’ll be able to do it’.
Faith is more a knowing which comes with time as we learn. This One with authority had learned in His praying time that He had authority. He didn’t approach it hoping; He approached it knowing.
And so this morning, my knowing – my faith – has been moved a little further along. And with this knowing – this faith – I approached the enemy and commanded. Afterwards, I asked God to restore.
Hunger and Thirst 