You’ve heard the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” Well, it’s getting pretty tough around our house. The excitement of the new school year is worn off and the real work has begun…for all of us. There have been tears and hard talks coming from within our walls to help encourage and spur us to keep persevering, to give our very BEST and not to settle for anything else. The real battle that I see taking place is in the mind. The power of unbelief sneaks in and wreaks havoc on us before we even know what hit us.

Have you been there? Have you ever told yourself that you can’t do something because it just seemed too hard? Have you ever wanted to quit before you even started trying? Or maybe you have already determined in your mind that someone else is better than you so you might as well throw in the towel and let them win. Please allow me to speak some of God’s truth into you today, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” These are Jesus’s words he spoke to a father with a demon-possessed son in Mark 9:23. The father had asked for help from the disciples to drive out the demon but they had no success. When he saw Jesus walking up to the crowd he ran to him and petitioned for his help. “Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:21-24

Half of our battles can be won in recognizing and confessing our unbelief. He was talking to the SAVIOR of the world and still said IF YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. I love what the footnote of my bible says about verse 24, “The attitude of trust and confidence that the Bible calls belief or faith is not something we can obtain without help. Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8, 9). No matter how much faith we have, we never reach the point of being self-sufficient. Faith is not stored away like money in the bank. Growing in faith is a constant process of daily renewing our trust in Jesus.”

If you finish reading the chapter, you learn that Jesus does heal the boy! A miracle! The disciples come to him privately and want to know why they couldn’t drive out the demon. Jesus replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer” John 9:29. Let’s take another look at the footnote of verse 29, “The disciples would often face difficult situations that could be resolved only through prayer. Prayer is the key that unlocks faith in our lives. Effective prayer needs both an attitude – complete dependence – and an action – asking. Prayer demonstrates our reliance on God as we humbly invite him to fill us with faith and power. There is no substitute for prayer, especially in circumstances that seem impossible.”

Wow! So here’s our action steps to facing our fears and unbelief. First, we need to acknowledge our unbelief and confess it to Him. Next, we seek Him in asking for his help in prayer. He loves it when we come to Him. He is our great helper! We often times have to get out of the way of ourselves to allow Him the opportunity to come in and do what only He can do! This is when the impossible meets the POSSIBLE and the miracle happens. Remember, belief is a verb…it’s something that we do! Let’s get to doing it!  Never give up! #gloryup