Only by Prayer and Fasting - Mark 9:29

Mark wrote how a man brought his son who was “mute” from an evil “spirit” to Jesus. Because Jesus' disciples could not expel the “spirit”, they asked Jesus, “Why could not we cast him out?, and in chapter nine and verse twenty-nine of his book, Mark shared how Jesus answered His disciples by saying,“this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” where we read:

And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

The verse reads, “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, ...” Mark began with the words, “and he said” which means “and Jesus uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto them” or “to His disciples”, “this kind can come forth” which means “this diversity and stock of evil spirit is expelled and driven out” “by nothing” or “with not one thing”. Mark shared how Jesus told His disciples there was no other way for this type of “spirit” to be “cast out” except through the following method.

The verse goes on to say, “... but by prayer and fasting.” Mark continued with the words, “but by prayer” which means “whether through worship and earnest oratory” “and fasting” or “and abstinence from food or drink”. Mark shared how Jesus said the “kind” of “spirit” they encountered within the boy required “earnest prayer and fasting” to “expel”.

When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we see how the “evil spirit” within the “mute” boy was more difficult than Jesus' “disciples” encountered previously. Jesus told them the reason they were unable to “cast him out” was because this “kind of spirit” required the person “expelling him” to have been “praying and fasting”. Jesus was powerful enough to “cast out” that “evil spirit” as well as any other one that exists because He is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate”. Those who put their “faith and trust” in Him shall find Him not only able to remove any influence of an “evil spirit” but also provide for them “everlasting life”.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus and His disciples, “departed from there … and would not that any man should know it”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".