By Nothing But Prayer and Fasting

By Nothing But Prayer and Fasting

Mark 9: 28&29
28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

   One question that has always bugged me is why doesn’t the Church have more of an impact on our world today?  The answer is complex and there are lots of reasons, but I submit to you that one of the biggest is found here in Mark 9 and again in Matthew 17.  A man brings a disturbed child to the Disciples and they find that they are impotent to help him.  It’s not that they blew the guy off and didn’t try, because we see from the wording of the verse they did try.  It’s not that they were ignorant about possession, because they’d seen Jesus cast out demons before.  It wasn’t that one of them went in alone to try; they were united together and tried together.  But they still failed, despite their best efforts, and in the end they had to take the child to Jesus, Who cast the demon out and the child rose up delivered and well.
   So they asked.  When we don’t know, that’s what you’re supposed to do.  They took Jesus aside and asked where they went wrong.  Jesus answered their question and gave us insight into spiritual warfare.  In the account in Matthew, He first gives them a talking to about faith and then says, “This kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.”
   Sometimes I look at the Disciples as eager but unprepared kids trying to please an adult.  I can see them girding up for battle and rushing onto the battlefield only to discover that they don’t have any bullets in their guns.  They went into battle against evil without being prayed up and focused on God.  Remember the account of the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish High Priest, from the Book of Acts?  They tried this and the demon-possessed man told them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?”  Then he beat the snot out of them and tore their clothes off them and chased them down the road.  They went into battle unarmed and unprepared and paid a heavy price for their oversight.
   Should the Church in America be renamed the First Church of Sceva?  There is a lot going on in our society and the Church seems to be unprepared and out of touch with what’s happening.  We sit in our warm, comfy churches and ask why the world isn’t trampling a path to our doors?  The world isn’t, and won’t, because they are under the influence of forces that are anti-God, anti-Christ, and anti-church.  People are deceived by these powers and are under the influence of them and will march through life and into hell without ever once stepping foot into a church.  Why should they?  They have what they want in life and don’t know that they need salvation.
   In a lifetime in church, I have heard people pray for a lot of things.  Only a few prayers were for people’s souls.  Oh, I’ve heard the prayers: “save the world, Lord!”  “Send Your Spirit to reach the lost in our city, Lord!”  “My neighbor is unsaved, Lord, do something to bring him to You?”  Now go grab your Bible and find those witnessing techniques written down and read them to me.  Can’t find them?  It’s because they aren’t there.  If you’re really concerned about your neighbor, go talk to them YOURSELF.  If you think your city need the Lord?  What are YOU doing about it?  No unsaved flocking to your church?  Go and invite some!
   But remember the powerless Disciples and the hapless sons of Sceva.  Pray first.  Fast and pray.  Give God your undivided attention and let Him minister to you first, and then you will be better prepared to confront to powers who influence this world and lead some of their victims to the safety of God’s love.
   Could you show someone the plan of salvation from the scriptures?  You’d better know that before you try!  Study and be prepared to answer questions.

Stephen Cram                         November 20, 2011                      Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8