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faith, greater quantity, miracles, mustard seed, possible, signs, size, supernatural, unbelief, wonders
Today, it is not unusual for believers to have unbelief. That’s right! It is possible to believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and still have unbelief! Christians’ unbelief, however, has nothing to do with how much faith they have, for Christ says that they will be able to move mountains from one location to another, even if they only have faith (trust in God) that is the size of a mustard seed. What then is believers’ source of unbelief, if it isn’t their faith? On almost all of today’s spiritual matters that seem too farfetched to believe, especially as they compare with our rational, natural senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting), we will display unbelief because we do not agree with God that we also have Christ’s supernatural power and authority.
This same unbelief in today’s Christians will make them as ineffective as Christ’s disciples once were. Even though Christ gave His 12 disciples His power and authority to handle ALL manner of sicknesses and diseases, and gave them the command to “…cast out devils…” (Matthew 10:1 and 8, KJV), they still couldn’t deal with the epileptic demon (that “him” the disciples refer to in the below Scriptures). They didn’t believe that the supernatural power and authority Christ had given them would cast out this kind of demon!
Thus, their unbelief, which was caused by their reliance on their natural senses, kept them from healing the boy. Likewise, when today’s Christians are confronted with unseen or unheard of before supernatural miracles, gifts, signs and wonders taking place, their first reaction is unbelief, even when they know that the WORD says believers can possess the power and authority of Christ to do great works—even greater works (a larger quantity of great works) than Christ did (cf. John 14:12). Christ, thus, confirms that fasting and praying are not for casting out demons; fasting and praying are the ways we cast out our unbelief about our supernatural abilities! AMEN.
“Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:19-21, KJV).
Gone Fishin' 
Hi. This was a great read for me, thank you. I would just like to know: When someone is sick and in need of healing, and they are believers, but their sickness has made them frail and thus they have doubt about healing, will that stand in the way when an strong believer prays for their healing? Or is the belief and faith of one person all that’s needed even if the sick person is too discouraged and weak to belief? Thanks
Tanith,
It is written:
Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. ~ James 5:14-16, NASB
There is a big difference between being physically frail and spiritually weak. I do not believe that a true Christian’s physical sickness will make that believer in Christ spiritually weak. On the contrary, so many biblical examples point out that it is the strong faith of those who are physically weak that prevails–it is the prayers of the spiritually faithful believers that prove to be more powerful than the sickness they are battling.
This above Divine Truth is why James tells us that it is the prayers of faith, which spiritually strong elders pray, that will bring physical healing to believing sick persons WHEN those believing sick persons have joined their faith with the faith of the praying elders. In other words, it takes the faith of the believing sick person working in conjunction with the faith of the praying elders he or she has asked to pray for him or her that will cause God to shower the believing sick person with a healing blessing–a blessing that will restore that believing sick person to his or her former health.
Every blessing,
Nadine
Hi Nadine
Thank you so much for the response.
When you say: “….it takes the faith of the believing sick person working in conjunction with the faith of the praying elders….”
Does the above quote include sick babies and people with dementia who can’t think clearly? (so if they can’t acknowledge they have faith for receiving their healing, there won’t be healing for them?)
Your previous reply with the scriptural reference helped a lot. Much appreciated.
xxx
Tanith,
You originally say that the persons in need of healing “are believers.” That said, babies are never held accountable for their unbelief or lack of faith.
Concerning Christian adults with dementia, I believe that if they are going to be miraculously healed they indeed will have to be alert enough to touch and agree with those spiritually faithful individuals who are praying for their healing. With God, their alertness/clarity/awareness is possible. However, even for believers whose dementia causes them to have unclear thinking during the time when spiritually faithful believers are praying for them, I am sure that–because God knows everyone’s heart (meaning, the born-again spirit)–He always will answer the fervent prayers of His spiritually faithful and righteous believers who are alert/clearheaded/aware, BUT according to His Perfect Will.
In other words, if believers with dementia (or any other sickness or disease) are not able to participate in the fervent effectual prayers of faith that are being prayed for them, the uncomfortable truth is that we who are praying must remember that God is in charge of whatever ways believers with dementia (or any other sickness or disease) get healed. We tend to think that “healing” means a total and immediate outward physical restoration of our mortal bodies. Ultimately, Jesus Christ’s atonement–His stripes that heal us–only guarantees this total/complete/immediate kind of healing will happen at the time we receive our resurrected or glorified bodies. Until then, all believers must submit to the sovereign Perfect Will of God, and His sovereign Perfect Will decides in what ways all believers get healed no matter if they either are or are not cognizant enough to participate in fervent effectual prayers of faith. Too many of us teach and preach that someone who hasn’t been immediately and completely healed must have unbelief or the lack of faith in his or her life. The Divine Truth is that a believer’s continued sickness or illness only means God has His reason/purpose for allowing the sickness or illness to continue. Therefore, whenever we see that a physical sickness or some suffering continues we must believe that the prayer of faith has been answered BUT with a “not yet . . . wait.” God does answer all prayers, but according to His sovereign Perfect Will. This Divine Truth means that in order for us to be truly faithful believers we must trust that God indeed is faithful and just to provide the strength and comfort needed to help the prayed for person wait for his or her complete/total/immediate healing. Put differently. there will be a change or healing that happens to the prayed for sick person. In most cases, however, this change or healing is an inward spiritual, emotional, mental change or healing.
Shalom . . . .
This answer has been a blessing. Thank you so much for your God given wisdom. Many thanks. I have read some of your other article too and it’s a blessing.