What Jesus Did! 'Only By Prayer' — Mark 9:28-29

Monday, June 17, 2024

Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, "Why couldn't we cast out that evil spirit?"

Jesus replied, "This kind can be cast out only by prayer."

— Mark 9:28-29 NLT

Key Thought

Often, I fear, the reason God's people don't do what they are capable of doing for the Kingdom of God is that they don't pray expecting God to answer. We must rededicate ourselves to "prayer offered in faith." [1] We must return to prayer to ask for God's help, power, mercy, grace, and might. We must also return to prayer to humble ourselves before the mighty hand of God so that he will lift us up. We must return to prayer to re-awaken us to the mighty acts that God has already done for us and to give him the thanks and praise due his name. Great things can be done for God consistently and effectively only when God's people pray.

[1] James 1:5-8, 5:15.

Today's Prayer

Forgive my silence and my sense of self-sufficiency, O God. I know that without your mercy, power, and grace I will fail. Please accept my humble cries for your forgiveness and my passionate pleas for your mercy, your grace, your strength, and your direction. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

5 Related Resources by Heartlight

Honest Frustration
Devo: What Jesus Did!
"Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, "Why couldn't we cast out that evil spirit?""
Prayer + Fasting Overcomes Demonic Forces
Devo: Spiritual Warfare
"When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of....."
Cruciformed #4: Only by Prayer
Article by Phil Ware
Unlike the father of the boy with the tormenting spirit, we don’t confess our unbelief and then ask for help in believing more is possible. Phil Ware continues his series of posts from the discipleship section of Mark chapters 8-10, this time focusing on the boy the disciples of Jesus could not heal.
Willing to Be Powerful
Article by Phil Ware
Dear God in heaven, we’d sure like to have a little bit of power to alter our irrelevance, lighten the burdens of others, and heal the wounds of the broken and despairing. Phil Ware writes out of the context of recent disasters and the loss of a mother and child to remind us that being a servant, offering ourselves in sacrificial love, is never a waste!
See All 5 Related Resources about Mark 9:28-29

Illustration

Illustration of Mark 9:28-29 NLT — Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, "Why couldn't we cast out that evil spirit?" Jesus replied, "This kind can be cast out only by prayer."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Monday, June 17, 2024

Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Vince Lombardi:
"I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man's finest hour — his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear —..."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'Truth Spoken Is a Weapon Against Temptation'
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil … the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, …’...."
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'The One?'
"Dear Disciple, Doubt! Even the best people have periods of doubt. My cousin John the Baptist was in prison awaiting certain death at the hands of..."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Morning Thought: Hosea 3:1
"Believer, look back through all thine experience, and think of the way whereby the Lord thy God has led thee in the wilderness, and how he hath fed..."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!