You’re All Prayed Up

This is a re-post from last year, but when it still reads fresh for me, I feel like it will still read fresh for you. 

I think I’ll just start with the punch line from today’s gospel, “This kind can only come out through prayer.” My prayer group and I have a saying, “you’re all prayed up”, which refers to our commitment to daily prayer as a way to prepare us for those times when “more” is required. Daily prayer widens our heart and deepens our faith in a way that situational prayer cannot. Spending habitual time in His presence increases our capacity to speak life into every situation including the scene in today’s gospel. The disciples had faith and had been healing the sick and driving out demons all over the place, however, this particular case had them stumped. It seemed they were lacking a reserve of time spent in the presence of God to take full authority over this boy’s particular affliction. Sometimes we are depleted of resources for whatever reason…lack of sleep, lack of energy, just that time of the month, extra stress, nutrition, too busy, lack of focus, etc. The same can be true in our spirit and a practice of daily prayer, habitual soaking in His presence, fasting to strengthen our faith, spending time in the Word, and worship can restore our depleted spirit in a way nothing else can: not good works, not best intentions, not fancy words, not doing religious stuff, etc. The disciples knew that Jesus spent time daily in His Father’s presence because he was constantly stealing away for prayer. And it was out of that place of prayer that Jesus could face the severity of this boy’s affliction. 

I love the transparency of the boy’s father in this story. They had been seeking healing for their son since he was a child and perhaps their faith had been stretched a bit thin. Raise your hand if you have ever prayed for someone for years and years. It seems that everyone, no matter how strong your faith, might become a bit weary at some point. The man was at the end of his hope and one little word made all the difference in his pleading with Jesus, “IF you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus responds, “’IF you can!’” “IF”? This was the great opening for Jesus to teach us that, “everything is possible to the one who has faith.” Right away, the man admits, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” What an amazing statement. This always hits me right in the middle of my own soul. I feel like I believe, however, I know I definitely struggle with unbelief and the only way to deal with that reality is to give it to Jesus. Once the man surrendered his unbelief and asked Jesus to help him with that, the boy was healed. The fact of the matter is that our faith cannot increase unless we spend time in the presence of God and then surrender any deficiency that we still have to Jesus. Confidence in God’s ability to heal ALL is only realized when we spend time enveloped in His love for us. Jesus knew that the disciples needed this key component to up their game. The boy’s father gave us a great prayer to remind us that we cannot do anything from our own authority, but when we give Jesus permission to come in and work through us, EVERYTHING is possible. 

“This kind can only come out through prayer.” Raise your hand if you have a “this kind” of situation in your life or in the life of someone you love right now. I do, but now I know that I simply need to spend time in the presence of my Father and surrender any doubt I have to Jesus, for “everything is possible to the one who has faith.” Help my unbelief, Jesus, and let my soaking in His presence release your presence into every “this kind” of situation. It is well with my soul. 

Today is my golden jubilee! Yep, 50 years old and I want to thank each one of you for allowing me to enter your prayer time with this blog. It started out as an assignment from my spiritual director and it has transformed into an expression of God’s deep and wide love for all of you. Whenever I am discouraged or feel like I should just stop writing, one or more of you will text or email a word of encouragement that lifts my soul to stay with it. I wake almost every morning at 3:00am to spend time in His Word and that has been the pinnacle transformation of my own spiritual life and so I want to thank you for giving me more incentive to do just that. This is a wonderful labor of my love for Jesus and I am so blessed to be able to share that gift with you. You make me a better writer and I am forever grateful. God bless your day.  

Reading 1 JAS 3:13-18

Beloved:
Who among you is wise and understanding?
Let him show his works by a good life   
in the humility that comes from wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts,
do not boast and be false to the truth.
Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above
but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.

Responsorial Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15

R.    (9a)  The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R.    The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R.    The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R.    The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R.    The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

Alleluia 2 TM 1:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 9:14-29

As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John
and approached the other disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
Immediately on seeing him,
the whole crowd was utterly amazed.
They ran up to him and greeted him.
He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
Someone from the crowd answered him,
“Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;
he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
He said to them in reply,
“O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you?  Bring him to me.”
They brought the boy to him.
And when he saw him,
the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions.
As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around   
and foam at the mouth.
Then he questioned his father,
“How long has this been happening to him?”
He replied, “Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him,
“‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”
Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,
rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it,
“Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:
come out of him and never enter him again!”
Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out.
He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!”
But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
“Why could we not drive the spirit out?”
He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”