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 him and enter him no more!” 26 Then [the spirit] cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

– Mark 9:25-29 (NKJV)

The disciples had cast out demons before. They were puzzled why THEY couldn’t cast this one out. Maybe it was because they forgot who was the one casting them out. They had gotten it backwards. They couldn’t do anything without the LORD. They had put too much confidence in their own ability. The remedy was simple. Come back to the LORD in prayer (and fasting).

It’s easy to read this and criticize the disciples. Of course they should have known to go to the Lord in prayer. They couldn’t cast demons out in their own strength and ability. Such things had become too familiar in their hands. Perhaps there was a sense of “we’ve got this,” and in the middle of it all they forgot what was a stake… A little boy thrown in the fire and water, a distraught father, a criticizing crowd.

Too often we are like the disciples when we set our hands to spiritual tasks. The Lord has used me to deliver countless lessons and sermons, what is one more? “I’ve got this!” Yikes. We don’t want to end up in the same place as the disciples. We must always know where real power comes from. That requires us humbling ourselves and getting on our knees.

Father, We love you and want to grow in knowledge of you and your word. We humble ourselves and confess that we have no real power to do anything on our own. We are all in desperate need of you to use us today. We can only do what is given by you for us to do. We seek your will and your glory. Use us in such a way that we can point back to you and say, “Glory to God!” Give us discernment as we apply your word to our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.