And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.
—Mark 9:24
These words have been a help to thousands of souls in their pursuit of salvation and the gifts of God. Notice that it is in relation to an afflicted child that they were said, as the child’s father sought healing from the Lord Jesus. In them, we see that in one and the same soul a struggle between faith and unbelief can occur. It is not without a struggle that we come to believe in Jesus and in His power to heal.
I speak here especially to sufferers who do not doubt the power or the will of the Lord Jesus to heal in this day, but who lack the boldness to accept healing for themselves. They believe in the divine power of Christ; but they shrink back from accepting healing.
Take notice, first, that without faith no one can be healed. When the father of the afflicted child said to Jesus, “if Thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us” (Mark 9:22), Jesus replied, “If thou canst believe” (verse 23). Jesus had the power to heal, and He was ready to do it, but He cast responsibility on the man. “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (verse 23 nkjv).
Prayer without faith is powerless. It is “the prayer of faith” that saves the sick. (See James 5:15.) You must be able to surrender your body absolutely into the Lord’s hands. Faith receives healing as a spiritual grace that proceeds from the Lord, even while there is no change in the body. Faith can glorify God and say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul… who healeth all thy diseases” (Psalm 103:1, 3). The Lord requires this faith so that He may heal.
Confess to the Lord the difficulty you have in believing Him. Tell Him you want to be rid of unbelief. He calls on you to trust in Him and, by His grace, faith will triumph in you. Say to Him, “Lord, I am aware of the unbelief that is in me. I want to conquer this unbelief. You, Lord, will give me the victory. I desireto believe, and by Your grace, I will believe. Yes, Lord, I believe, for You help me with my unbelief.” It is when we are in intimate communion with the Lord that unbelief is conquered.
It is necessary to testify to faith. Believe what the Lord says to you and believe what He is. Lean completely on His promises.