Mark 9:14-29
"The Prayer That Works"

V.14-29

I. A “mountain top” experience

Like Moses “Mountain top” experience they were met with unbelief

V.19 “O, unbelieving generation.”

•“How long shall I stay with you?” anticipates Jesus’ departure and time when the disciples would have to take over the ministry and carry on in faith.

They were to have full faith in Jesus’ power even if He is not physically present.

II. Why so much demonic activity in the NT?

See V.17-18

Genesis 3 The Curse

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

This happened on the cross

Col 2:13 He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

We see Satanic involvement as Jesus appeared and we will see this again as His second coming draws near

1 Tim 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

2 Tim 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

III. Why weren’t the disciples able to deliver the boy?

The disciples were previously having victory over the demons

Mark 6:12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Sometimes we can have faith in our formulas and not faith in Jesus Christ

V.23 “everything is possible”

Will believing magically produce anything we desire?

1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence...

Power is available by faith to meet any need that arises in the course of ministering in His Name.

The question still remains, “Why weren’t the disciples able to deliver the boy?”

V.29
What prayer? Or whose prayer?

There’s only one prayer in this story.
The honest prayer of a hurting man.

**God responds to a hurting honest prayer

In our pain we pray and God comes to help.