Only Through Prayer

Yesterday in my quiet time I read about a boy with an evil spirit. He was brought to Jesus by his father...but first he was brought to the desciples for help. The desciples could not free him of the evil spirit so the boys father found Jesus and said "if you can please take pity on us and help us". Jesus said, "if you can? Everything is possible for him who believes" Mark 9:23

After the boy was healed and and his way home with his father the desciples turned to Jesus and said, "Why couldn't we heal him?" I imagine Jesus turning to them, whispering "This kind can come out only by prayer." Mark 9:29

Jesus reply really stuck with me yesterday and today. This kind comes out only by prayer. I wonder if the desciples prayed for the boy or just tried to heal him through their own strength...

There are some days I feel like I have an evil spirit. I'm a yeller, try as I might to overcome this thing I yell. My kids are 2 and 3 and act like they have beans in their ears when I tell them to do something. They are soo frustrating some days. Some days it's really good, I don't yell I just redirect, they don't yell at me either. They fight and they argue but there is no yelling and I'm able to redirect their preschool frustrations to more productive things..other days it's AWFUL. Please don't get me wrong, it is my fault I'm a yeller, I rely on my own strength and fail every time.

Then there's the evil spirit of my weight issue, I get all motivated and start losing weight and then I start thinking wait I don't want people to look at me, I don't deserve this success. Or I won't succeed this is taking too long and become discouraged and quit.

Then there's the evil spirit of my laziness, some days I just REALLY don't want to even get dressed in the morning.

So I'm sure now you get the idea, I'm flawed. I'm sure I don't have an actual evil spirit in me this is just my flesh ruling me right. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Mark 14:38

These are things I'm blatantly struggling with right now. Every day I get up in the morning it's a struggle, by the end of the day I'm exausted and fall into bed grateful for sleep, you can't sin in your sleep right? (smiles)

Yesterday when I read that story of the boy and the father though it really stuck with me. I imagine Jesus leaning down to whisper in my ear "Mandy, this kind only come out through prayer"

So I pray, I pray now, I pray 5 minutes from now, I pray tonight I pray tomorrow I pray. Things change when we pray, did you know that? We're children of God and when we fall on our knees before an Almighty God, things change. Hearts change, our hearts change. So I pray, if you struggle with something you should pray too.

Worry, Fear, Doubt, Laziness, Anger, Glutony, Lust, even things like illness and money problems anything and everything dealt to us by the world just imagine Jesus leaning down to whisper in your ear

"My child, this kind can only come out through prayer"

What are you struggling with today? Can I pray for you?