Prayer a New Start

I took the weekend off from writing so I could focus on an issue that God has really hit me over the head with in the last week and that is one of prayer or my lack thereof. Now I know a lot of you are looking at that and wondering what I am talking about so let me explain. I pray like many of you I get a prayer request by e-mail or a text message I stop and pray, I pray as I study and prepare to teach and write these devotionals.  During my last week God really has brought to my attention that many times I pray the grocery list and go on. Not that any of this is bad but Prayer is our strongest weapon against the enemy and we often take it so very lightly no wonder we live defeated lives. So I will be focusing on prayer for a few days hope that is alright. When I was looking at God’s word he brought me to Mark 9:14-29(ESV),

14  And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Now how many of us live a prayer life as if we don’t really believe what we pray for? Sometimes we must take action like the father and ask God to help us even in times that we don’t believe. Jesus was willing and able to do what the man asked. The question becomes did the father believe Jesus could do it. The focus of our prayer lives should be centered on the fact that God is able to do all things. He only asks that we trust and believe in Him. I pray that God blesses you today and he helps your unbelief change to belief I promise you he is more than able and willing to answer your prayers.