PRAYER PROMPT ••• I love my eye doctor.
She’s amazing with a fun, down-to-earth personality.
Plus, she helps me see which is huge.
Since I turned 40, my eyes have gone a little haywire.
They can’t decide exactly what they want to do, so on a few occasions, I’ve had to make in-between-appointments with her.
I know when I call her, she’s going to fix things.
I trust her and am confident in her ability to help me.
On my last visit, I had issues with haziness; I could see, but nothing was clear.
I thought my vision had shifted again and I needed a stronger prescription.
But it boiled down to eye fatigue because I spend a lot of time in front of a computer.
Mark 9 reminds us of someone else who could see but had a bit of haziness to overcome.
Mark 9:17 begins the story of a father who brought his demon-possessed son to be healed.
In verse 22, the father said, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus answered in verse 23, and I can’t help but think He was just a bit offended and put out when He responded.
The verse says, “And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
I feel for this father.
I understand his anguish and desperate need for his son to be healed.
Since the story indicates the boy had suffered for years, I imagine this father’s words to Jesus were laced with hope, but with a measure of caution and hesitation mixed in…
Probably due to the emotional strain and so many failed attempts to help his son.
But in verse 24, it says, “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’”
Those are five very important words, my friends.
“I believe; help my unbelief.”
On one hand, this father knew Jesus was the solution.
On the other, he didn’t want to get his hopes up in the event of another disappointment.
It was just a single grain of doubt mixed with his faith in Jesus’ ability.
Sound familiar to anyone?
I have to admit, I’ve done the same thing.
I’ve prayed, knowing God had the power, but with a slim ribbon of doubt and fear.
It doesn’t matter if that doubt or fear is less than a hundredth of a percent, if it’s there, then we need our faith focus adjusted.
We have to trust Jesus implicitly to help us.
Just as the father asked Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief, we can do the same.
Hebrews 12:2 gives us hope.
Depending on the translation, Jesus is called the founder of our faith, or the champion who initiates our faith.
But I prefer the King James Version that calls Him the author of our faith (it’s the writer in me that loves that description!)
Hazy faith has a solution.
It’s rooted in the very One we go to for the answer.
Today, as you pray, ask Jesus to help you.
If there are any seeds of doubt lingering in your faith, ask Him to remove them and help you believe with perfect, 20/20 vision.
