“He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you cans ay to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.’” (Matthew 17:20 NIV)

Before this verse, the disciples had tried and failed to heal a boy possessed by a demon.  Then they asked Jesus why they couldn’t drive the demon out.  Jesus replied with this verse.  Jesus clarifies that the issue was not the amount of faith they needed, but the quality and placement of their faith.  Placing our faith in our own skills or track record or even the intensity of our own prayers is not going to make something happen. It is learning to place our faith entirely in God’s hands, His character, His will, and His power.  Jesus reminded his disciples that their faith had to be placed in God’s ability, not their own.

We pray for healing—We need to place our trust in God.  We pray for the healing of a broken relationship—We need to place our trust in God.  We pray for peace amidst the chaos—We need to place our trust in God.  We pray for the healing of our loneliness—We need to place our trust in God.  We pray for our children—We need to place our trust in God.  We pray. We pray for many things.  We do not know why some of our prayers are answered and some are not.  We try to have faith.  We try to trust.  And we even doubt, as the disciples.  We are told to have faith.  To trust. But sometimes life is hard and does not go the way we want.  

And then we remember, and we pray, “It only takes a little faith to move a mountain, but Lord our faith is lacking.  Sometimes we lose something and sometimes things go wrong, but if we have a little faith maybe we will be able to move this mountain, with Your help, O Lord.”

Life is life.  What God promises is that He is with us always.  We just forget sometimes.  So let us trust in the Lord, have faith and know that with God all things are possible. God Bless.  Amen.

denise