Every Believer has power. Since every believer is indwelled with the Holy Spirit, they have some power. This power can manifest itself in many different ways. We do not see much power in the church today and in most believers. Perhaps the reason for this is illustrated in Matthew 17:14-21.
In the passage of scripture above, Jesus and His disciple had come to the multitude, after experiencing the Transfiguration of Jesus. As they came down the mountain, Jesus noticed the religious scribes arguing with some of His disciples.
About that time a man approached Jesus and kneeled before Him. The man asked Jesus to have mercy on his son, who was having epileptic seizures, foaming at the mouth, grinding his teeth, screaming and throwing himself into water and fire. The son clearly was demon possessed.
The man told Jesus he brought his son to his disciples, but they could not cure him. This is why the scribes were disputing with the disciple. The scribes were actually mocking the followers of Jesus since they had no power to cure the son.
Jesus looked at all of them and said in Matthew 17:16, *O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I suffer you/ Bring him here to me. Jesus immediately rebuked the devil and the boy was healed.
After healing the boy, Jesus’ disciple asked Him, why could we not heal him. Jesus said, “Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you,if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible to you.”
Jesus was so disappointed in His disciples for their inability to heal the boy. He even said, how long must I put up with you. Remember in Matthew 10:1, 8, Jesus had given them the power to heal all manner of sickness and diseases. He had given them the power to cast out devils. But the disciples could not heal the boy because they had either lost their power or their power was too weak. The world is in the place it is today because Believers are too weak or have no power, even though the Holy Spirit is inside of them.
Jesus then made an enormous statement. He said this kind goes out by prayer and fasting.
We as Believers have to cultivate our faith. We must nurture our faith like a farmer nurtures his crops. Faith that is not nurtured, grows wheat or eventually dies.
Faith is what moves God, real living faith. From the day we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour we must be constantly nurturing our faith, so it can grow. Jesus said already, if your faith is the size of a grain of mustard seed, you could move mountains.
Faith grows by studying God’s Word. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God, has been told to us many times. Are we really spending adequate time in God’s Word? Just going to church is not enough.
Faith grows through prayer. Are we really praying or are we just going to the motions? God talks to us in prayer. Are we taking the time to shut up in prayer just to listen to Him. There is a reason why we hear so many people say, “Prayer changes things.”
Faith grows when we discipline ourselves. Fasting is a form of disciplining yourself. Fasting is something you do that is only between you and God. These group and church fasts really don’t work because it’s not just between you and God. There are also many other ways we can discipline ourselves in order for our faith to grow.
It is obvious to the whole world that church folk don’t have much faith. They have a lot of show and religious fervor. Jesus said, with faith, nothing will be impossible for us.
Let’s focus from this day forward on growing our faith, Amen.
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