A desperate man with a deaf and mute son once told Jesus, "...if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (Mark 9:22b). He provided additional details of the son's condition indicating that the boy would sometimes have convulsions, go rigid, and foam at the mouth.
In reply, Christ parroted part of the request back to the man, saying, “‘If you can’?” One can only imagine that He was stunned by the suggestion that the power of God would not bring forth a breakthrough. He could have left the boy to his fate, after all, we are told He couldn't perform many miracles in His own hometown due to the level of disbelief there (Matthew 13:58).
Instead, He continued to engage the man, saying, “Everything is possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23). What happened next suggests the man understood the key to his son's healing. Mark 9:24 - Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
We learned on Tuesday that God is compassionate and examined this great blessing that He pours out on mankind. We saw that Jesus exemplified the compassionate nature of God while He walked the earth.
His interaction with this man and his sick son was no different. He was not going to watch the boy suffer from diseases brought on by evil spirits without doing something. However, he required a condition and it was that the boy's father needed to have faith that healing was possible.
We are no different from that man. We also want God's compassion but have been conditioned by tough experiences to see this as a rare commodity. Sadly, we have witnessed compassion withheld from those who truly need it and expect to be treated the same way.
Yet, we serve a God who deeply desires to be compassionate toward us (Isaiah 30:18). Indeed, we are told in Matthew 5:45 that He allows both the evil and the good to experience the blessing of His sun and rain. Thus, if He can manage to show such kindness to the wicked, what more to those who are righteous?
Still, He wants His children - those who believe in Him and are led by His Spirit - to have faith that He will show them compassion. He wants them to believe that their miracle is on the way. This is because when a person's faith combines with God's loving compassion, the only result is a miraculous one.
The man with the sick son wisely declared his belief and even acknowledged he'd been wrong to disbelieve in the first place. He asked Christ to heal him of his lack of faith. Thanks be to God for such submission and insight because the boy was freed from the evil spirits that had kept him bound by disease.
God continues to work out such things to this day. His miraculous power and compassion haven't waned. Will you appeal to His compassion in faith, though? He wants you to and the reward will be well worth it when you do.
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CLOSING PRAYER
Marvelous God, thank You for the blessing of this day. Thank You for the privilege of fellowship with Your sons and daughters from all over the world. All glory be to Your Holy Name.
Father, grant us discernment to know what to say and Your discretion to know how to speak to Your glory. Grant us the gift of patience that we may trust and walk with You as You teach us how to be more aligned with You.
Lord, bless today's P&Pers and grant us more grace to serve and obey You IJMN, Amen.
LAST 10 MINUTES
Our sis @AlexisColby shared a great prayer upthread that we really should all pray over ourselves:
Heavenly Father, You are so great, forever gracious and intentional in all You do. I am in awe of You. thank You for Your endless compassion and love. Just as You healed the desperate father's son, we ask for Your healing and intervention in our lives. Strengthen our faith and help us overcome our doubts. May our trust in You bring forth the miracles we seek. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
If you've said this prayer, take some time to give God praise. He's working, you know?
From AC - Amen! Amen! I touch and agree on your prayers, thank you my dear sisters I was emotional writing the post. God is soooo merciful, patient, and loving, it brings me to tears.
Abba, Thank You for Your compassion, patience, and never-ending grace. We trust in Your promise that what You have begun in Sy's father, You will bring to completion. For it is not Your will for anyone to perish, but for all to receive eternal life through Christ. Lord, we place our trust in Your perfect timing, believing that You will bring about a transformation of this man's heart. In Jesus' precious and beautiful name, we pray. Amen.
Father, today You taught us about faith and a desperate father removing the cloak of disbelief so he could see healing in his son.
Lord, Your word shows us that a bunch of friends had faith that Christ could heal their lame friend. So much so, that they broke somebody's roof to lower their friend into Christ's presence (Mark 2:4). Mark 2:5 -When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Our Savior didn't wait for the man's faith. He worked a miracle based on the faith of his friends. Their faith combined with His compassion to bring not just healing but the complete erasure of the man's sins. Complete victory over satan!
God Almighty, we come to You today. We come to You as the friends of the lame, the sick, the confused, the overwhelmed, the oppressed. We stand in the gap for those who may not have enough faith in this season. We call on You to kindly look at our belief in You for their transformation. Bring healing to weary bones. Healing to broken hearts. Strengthen the weak. Feed the hungry. Overcome and deprive satan of all its plans in the lives of our loved ones and prayer subjects.
We stand in faith, appealing to Your compassion, oh Lord. We look to You for restoration for those we stand for. You who won at the cross. There, Christ finished His work. And He did so to Your glory.
The battle is already won. On behalf of those we stand for, we have victory. For our Savior overcame satan in its own house. Jesus plundered the enemy and we stand in victory! We rejoice for answered prayers. We thank You Miracle Papa!!!
Hallelujah!
IJN, Amen!
From M22 - Father Lord, I submit my siblings into your hands. Thank you for being our helper, deliverer, protector and defender. Thank you Lord for holding us by your mighty hand of righteousness. Father Lord I thank you that we will look back in years to come and understand your will for us in the present. We hold on to your word in Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11. We bless you for taking care of us.
Thank you for helping my baby sister start treatments and I thank you in advance for eliminating everything contrary to you within her body.
Thank you Father for helping my brother to be eligible for graduation. I trust you Father that you will help him settle every debt and conclude his academic journey beyond his expectations.
Thank you Father for my twin. Thank you Lord for helping her navigate her studies. Thank you Father for everything you have been teaching her. I pray that you will continue to see her through.
IJMN Amen
From PBS - Hey Pepper Fam—happy Friday!!!
So overjoyed to hear your update @AlexisColby
Lord please reach out to us/anyone calling for help from fear, who have been put in impossible situations or have been told by the world that they are impossible and nothing can be done to help—-show up dear Father in mighty and unexpected ways—pour out all of You and let even the rocks break out in song at the breakthroughs and miracles that are happening now—-GLORY, GLORY, GLORY!!!
‘Father, we thank You that You have not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline (sound judgment). Therefore, we declare that we are not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. We have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but we have received a spirit of adoption as sons, by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
When we are afraid, we will put our confidence in You. Yes, we will trust Your promises. And since we trust You, what can mere man do to us? The peace You give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. We cast away troubled thoughts, and we choose not to be afraid. We believe in God!
Lord, You are our Light and our Salvation; You protect us from danger — whom shall we fear? When evil men come to destroy us, they will stumble and fall! Yes, though a mighty army marches against us, our hearts shall know no fear when tempted to be afraid.
We will trust in our God. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.”
God I pray for Sy's father. Let him receive Christ and be marked as Your own before he passes (Acts 13:36). Thank You for Your great mercy and compassion that You showed to Sy and their family by ensuring that his heart is willing to believe. Continue this great work that You have started. We overcome untimely death by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony (Rev 12:11). I have this faith because I have heard the testimonies of others who used to live one way and then were transformed by an encounter with Your truth.
"And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." -- 1 Cor 6:11
From M22 - Father Lord, we plead your mercy over the global enconomy. The inflation is holding people back from feeding and paying bills. We pray that you will continue to supply the needs of your children. We pray for abundance and provision IJMN. We pray for bigger doors to be opened and for bigger opportunities IJMN Amen
From M22- Abba Father I pray for people struggling with their faith. That you will strengthen them in faith. Just as you transformed the heart and mind of the widow you sent Elijah to. I pray that you will visit people and transform them beyond their expectations IJMN Amen
From M22 - Abba Father I pray for couples seeking the fruit of the womb. I pray that you will turn their waiting into fruitfulness. I pray that you will bless them with healthy beautiful babies they'll nurture in your ways. Thank you Father for breaking every stronghold of infertility in marriages. IjMN Amen
From M22 - Abba Father I pray for your children waiting on you for their kingdom spouses that you help them wait patiently. I pray that you expose every counterfeit trying to pose as the ordained ones for them. I pray that they continue to focus their hearts on you as they wait IJMN Amen
From M22 - Abba Father I pray that you humble the hearts and minds of world leaders to put an end to the war and bloodshed in affected regions. We pray that you extinguish every selfish desire and need for financial gain blocking every associated parties from coming to an amicable agreement to end the war. Abba Father I pray that you send every form of aid neccesary to affected individuals. Help them rebuild and restore in thousandfold everything they have lost IjMN amen
From JIR - I pray for those who are into religions, practices, doctrines or false gods that are not consistent with the Word of God; the Holy Bible. I pray that they come to the realization that the enemy is leading them down the wrong path. I pray that they humble themselves and open their hearts up to You Lord. I pray that they realize without You, Jesus, they do not have the Heavenly Father. I pray that they turn to You Lord, fall on their knees and ask for Your forgiveness. I pray that they call on You, they seek You and they give their lives to You, Lord. IJMN. Amen.
Good God, thank You for being the God who teaches. The word tells us that You discipline Your legitimate children. Though discipline is difficult to swallow, I thank You for guidance and Your leadership.
Father, help Your children to accept and apply Your word in all aspects of their lives. Help them to be the light someone needs to see on any given day. Grant them grace to change their environment to Your glory and by Your grace.
Secure your children and their blessings that the accuser will not be able to point to iniquity as a barrier to receipt. IJMN, Amen.
From M22 - Abba Father I submit children into your loving hands. I pray that you continue to shield them from harm, violence and abuse. I pray that you will touch the hearts and minds of their parents, guardians and caregivers to nourish and nurture them in your ways. I pray you help them to seek you all the days of their lives and fulfil your purpose and calling over their lives IJMN Amen
From JIR - I pray for my aunt. I pray that the Lord continues to provide her with the strength, love and comfort she needs to hold on. I pray that although my aunt is incapacitated she still reaches out to You Lord. I pray that she is praying to You day and night, speaking with You and building a relationship with You while she is in the state that she is in. All things are possible through You Lord and this is where I need to have the faith that You will heal her and bless her to recover. I will continue hoping and holding on to the faith that I have for her to pull through. IJMN. Amen.
From M22 - Heavenly Father I want to thank you for this wonderful community. Thank you for teaching, transforming and pruning us for your glory. Thank you Ebenezer for strengthening us in our character and faith. Thank you for contending against those that contend against us. Thank you Lord that your mercy continually speaks for us. Thank you for finding us worthy of your compassion. We bless your name! Amen.
PRAYER TIME
Let us turn now to praying for people. There are people you know who need your fervent prayers. This is an opportunity to cry out to the Lord on their behalf.
May the Lord guide us on who to pray for and what to say, IJMN, Amen.
From AC - I know You'll come through
This mountain is moving
I fix my eyes on You
If You said it, You'll do it
Because You are God
No matter the odds
The outcome is always the same
You will make a way
You always make a way
Nothing is impossible for You
Impossible is what You do
Almighty God, you are full of power! Your greatness stretches through all the heavens. No one compares to You. You are the Most High. Let all Your enemies tremble before You. Let Your children shine brighter with Your light.
Thank you for sis AC's testimony. Truly at the testimony of two witnesses, a matter is confirmed.
I thank you for healing bro SJ's finger, I thank You for clearing my hands, I thank You for the provision we will receive soon. Thank You turning my disappointment into something good that I can still look forward to.