My best friend Maureen is quite the blog follower. She shared this blog with our small group via email this morning. It's such a great blog - that I wanted you all to read it as well.
Read Mark 9:14-29...then read the blog...
http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2009/05/539-doubting-doubt.html
What a great way to show how much Jesus understands us...how compassionate he is...how it's ok to feel the way we feel - even if it's doubt in him... We need to know that we must come to him though with these iniquities. There was an online church service I watched this weekend (http://www.newspring.cc/series/thegospel-4)- from New Spring - the church I used to attend in Anderson, SC. There was a hymn that brought tears to my eyes...ok, I was flat out sobbing...Come Home...it said. (Here are the lyrics: http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Softly_and_Tenderly/ ) How God just wants for us to come to Him and ask Him to help us with these things. In a humble way. A way that shows Him that we understand that He loves us...He's not judging us (He put that on Jesus) He just wants to help us.
In verse 29 of Mark 9, the disciples ask Jesus why they couldn't draw out the evil spirit from the boy. Jesus didn't reply that the reason was that they didn't believe...or that they had doubt. The reason he gave them was that it could only be done by prayer. Prayer is a powerful thing. I think we often try to pray by ourselves. However, I think we need to understand that God can't even hear our prayers if they aren't being lifted to him through Jesus. It is only by Jesus' precious blood that was shed for us that we can be connected to God through prayer. Perhaps the disciples were trying to 'pray' out the spirit...but if they were trying to do it under their own power or words...there was no result. Prayer without Jesus - is just us talking. But when there is an underlying understanding behind those words, that Jesus is the reason we can talk with God, that's when it becomes prayer.
Take some time to sit and pray with God...understanding what Jesus did for you that allows you to even be in this moment...tell God that you believe....but that any unbelief or sin in your life be taken away by His power.
He can heal us!! We just need to believe it and come to Him. Amen.
See you all at Illuminate tonight! Love you guys :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment