Help My Unbelief

“I believe; help my unbelief.” Can’t Christians so often relate to this statement? Mark 9:14-29 describes a father of a boy possessed by an evil spirit. He asked Jesus for help, to which Jesus told him that anything was possible for those who believe. The man responded, “I believe; help my unbelief.” After this, Jesus healed the boy. This is a miraculous story of faith and healing. For some however, it often seems as though God doesn’t answer our prayers.

The apostle Paul himself struggled with this. Paul suffered from a severe physical ailment which he pleaded with God to remove, but God ultimately told him no. God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-12)

Why does God sometimes heal and sometimes allow suffering to remain? And what does it mean to pray with faith?

It is my belief that praying with faith doesn’t mean simply believing in God’s ability to heal. It requires confidence that no matter God’s answer, we can trust him. He will help us endure any outcome. When we pray, do we pray out of faith or fear? If you pray for the healing of a loved one, do you approach God out of fear for an unfavorable outcome? Or do you approach a loving God, knowing that he cares for you and will work things out according to his glory and your good? I believe that is what it means to ask for something out of faith.

It can be very difficult for us as humans to come to grips with how God responds to our requests. God will respond to our prayers for his glory and our good. Suffering, while painful, serves a purpose in our lives. Scripture is very clear that our suffering is designed to build our character and draw us closer to God.

If our suffering has not yet accomplished its goal, then why would God take it from us? God is glorified when we suffer well. When we go through trials, we are better able to help others who go through the same trials later.

The irony in asking for health in this life is that it will run out eventually. We will all die someday. But when we are united with God in Heaven, all our pain and suffering will be erased (Revelation 21:4).

Our trials in this life are all light momentary afflictions compared to the glory of Heaven. As we go through pain and suffering in this life, let us approach God in faith and not fear. Let us remember that he cares for us and will carry us through whatever may come. Let us pray as though the God of the universe is listening and cares for us, because after all, he is.

And when we struggle to have faith, we can echo the words of the father we read about earlier: “I believe; help my unbelief.”