Key Verse: After he had gone into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” And he told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer.” (Mark 9:28-29 CSB)
What are the situations or circumstances that tend to drive you to your knees in prayer? When are you most often prone to seek God in this way? Oswald Chambers once wrote, “We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense. We pray when there’s nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.”
When Jesus came down from the mountain following His transfiguration, He found His disciples disputing with the Jewish scribes and teachers. A boy who was being afflicted by a demonic spirit had been brought to them. However, they were unable to drive the spirit out of him as they had done previously.
Following His encounter with the boy’s father, Jesus stepped in and rebuked the demonic spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: Come out of him and never enter him again” (v.25). Immediately the boy was thrown into convulsions and the unclean spirit came out of him in obedience to Jesus.
As Jesus took the boy by the hand, and helped him to his feet, the disciples turned to Him and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” How come we couldn’t do that? It was a fair question. Just a few chapters earlier, Jesus had summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits” (6:7). This was likely not the first time the disciples had engaged in deliverance ministry. Yet now they were unable to do so. They were powerless in this particular situation.
What exactly was the problem? Why weren’t they able to drive out the unclean spirit from the boy? According to Jesus, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer” (v.25). To be clear, Jesus isn’t saying that certain kinds of spiritual warfare require prayer, and others do not. What Jesus is driving at in His response is more about the disciples’ faith demonstrated through dependency on God.
The power to see God’s kingdom come in our lives and in the lives of others is not found in ourselves. We lack the ability and strength to overcome temptation, to destroy spiritual strongholds, and to change our hearts or those of others. The power is found only in Jesus by His Spirit. We can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5).
So this is why we must pray, and always start with prayer. Prayer is the most fundamental and important act of faith. It is a statement of rejection of the self-sufficiency that can so easily creep into our hearts. Prayer says, “I can’t handle this on my own. I can’t do this, but God can.” It is the humble acknowledgement of who holds the real power for transformation.
So today, remember the priority and power of prayer. Bring before God your every circumstance, not as a last resort but as your first line of defense. In faith, pray first before you do anything else. This is where the power is found.
Prayer: Jesus, I need you today more than I even realize. Grant me a greater level of faith that is demonstrated through humility and prayer. Help me to seek you not as the last resort, but as my first line of defense. Show your power today in me. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
