Good morning, Lord Jesus. Put Your thoughts in my mind and Your desires in my heart to teach me Your ways and make me more like You today. ...
“When they came to the crowd, a man came to Him, knelt before Him, and said, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.’ Jesus answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ He said to them, ‘Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you’” (Matthew 17:14-21).
You weren’t speaking to Your disciples about mustard-making faith, but mountain-moving faith. And as You were, You weren’t rebuking the father for his compassion for his son or the son for the burden of his affliction. You weren’t rebuking the crowds and the unbelievers. You said nothing about their measure of faith. No, You rebuked the demon and the disciples!
As insidious as the demon of destruction was that tormented the boy, so was the insidious demon of doubt that was limiting the ministry of the disciples. There was something about the quality or quantity of their faith that was “little.” And their “little faith” was limiting their ministry and leaving the people who were suffering and struggling for healing and freedom in the power and authority of Your name stuck in the grip of the enemy of their souls.
What about us as Your disciples today? What about me as Your disciple today? ...
You said in the “red letters” of Your own words that “if (we) have faith the size of a mustard seed, (we) will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for (us).” We can try to explain it away or water it down or come up with doctrines and teachings that try to excuse our lack of experience of the Word of God, but it’s still the Word of God -- the “red letter” words You spoke Yourself.
Just as You also said, “All things are possible for the one who believes” (Mark 9:23). And just as You also said, “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in My name you ask Me for anything, I will do it” (John 14:12-14).
We can mock and ridicule and say that’s “out of balance” and “out on the fringes” all we want at our own peril of being disobedient to the Word of God. But those aren’t the words of some “wild-eyed charismatic preacher.” They are the words of Jesus straight from the Word of God.
Lord, forgive us for our mockery and blasphemy that tries to justify in religious language our lack of faith and lack of obedience to You. We repent. I repent. Let us no longer settle for something far less than who You say we are, falling far short of all You send us to do in the authority of Your name.
In these days and the days to come, we’re going to need mountain-moving faith instead of mustard seed excuses. We need deliverance from the demon of doubt, freedom from the spirit of religious-excuses, and a fresh infusion of the Spirit of Faith! Whether it’s quality or quantity, we just need more -- more of You, more of Your Spirit, more of Your Presence, more of Your power, expressed through our faith as Your disciples in this world that’s desperate to encounter the Living Presence of the Living God in the mighty name of Jesus!
Lord, let us settle for nothing less. Lord, let me settle for nothing less. With the character of Your nature in our hearts and the authority of the power of Your name in our words and our prayers, let us see some mountains move! We not here on this earth for such as time as this to make mustard but to move mountains! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
My family, may you be filled afresh with a Spirit of Faith to be empowered and obedient to the Word of God and see some mountains move in the authority and power of the name of Jesus, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
