I Believe; Help My Unbelief

Every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday night we have worship for the campers. Last Thursday the camp pastor challenged the youth groups to continue living on mission when they went home. He suggested that they keep each other accountable by each committing to share the gospel once a day and sharing their experiences at the end of the day.
My first thought was, "yeah, right. These kids will never do that." I was shocked by my cynicism. If I trust in the God of the universe why was I so quick to discount His influence in the lives of these young people?
After the sermon, I repented of my skepticism, and the Lord brought one phrase to my mind: "I believe; help my unbelief." It comes from a passage in Mark where a father brings his demon-possessed son to Jesus to be healed. He asks Jesus to help him if he can. "And Jesus said to him, 'If You can? All things are possible to him who believes.' Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, 'I do believe; help my unbelief'” (Mark 9:24-25). The man proclaims both his faith and his inadequacy. This seems to be exactly what Jesus wants because he casts out the evil spirit and the boy is healed.
A few verses later, we find that the disciples were unable to cast out the demon by themselves. When they ask Jesus the reason for this, he answers that this kind cannot be cast out without prayer. The disciples weren't able to perform the miracle alone because they didn't pray.
No great work of God comes without prayer. I've seen evidence of this all summer. Any time I've seen God do big things in the lives of my campers or the people at our ministry sites, I can trace it back to prayer: either one uttered moments before the event or in the first hours of the morning.
I've been so convicted to pray big prayers, and to truly believe that God will answer them. So often, I pray small prayers that don't require a lot of faith. I pray for safe travels and good grades on tests, but God is also calling me to fervently pray for my friends' salvation and the reconciliation of His people.
I believe that God cares about every aspect of our lives--the small things and the big ones. But let us approach the throne of grace with all boldness knowing that we belong there. Just as a child has the right to ask something of his father, we have the right to request the blessings of God. Ephesians 3:20 says that God is able to do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." Immeasurable more.
That means God can heal the relationship you fear will never be restored. He can forgive you for your greatest sin and help you forgive yourself as well. He can break the chains of addiction that bind you. He can bring you through heartache, pain, and loss. But first we must ask. So, like the father in the story, let us have the courage to admit when our faith is small, and ask Jesus for more. May we pray big prayers with expectancy, knowing that we serve a great and glorious Father God.