How many of us have wrestled with doubts—doubting God’s inerrant Word, doubting that our faith is saving, doubting that God cares for us personally? Doubts can threaten to keep us from reaching out to God. But there is a Father in Scripture who shows us that doubts are a reason to draw near to God, not turn away. Our Father in Scripture utters the famous prayer: “I believe, help my unbelief.” These words are cherished by many because they reflect the state of our hearts. We need the help of the Lord, but our faith in him falters. We need to remember: God can work with small faith.
What Happened Before a Man Asked Jesus 'I Believe Help My Unbelief'?
While on earth, Jesus performed many miracles—including miracles of healing. One of these was healing a demon-possessed boy in Mark 9:14-29. The possessed boy had an unclean spirit that could only be driven out through prayer. So, though the disciples had tried to drive out the unclean spirit, they were unsuccessful. But the boy’s father did not altogether give up hope. He was part of the crowd that marveled when they saw Jesus. The crowd turned to Jesus, who approached and began to assess the situation.
In the introduction to this story in the gospel of Mark, Jesus bemoaned being in an unbelieving generation: “You unbelieving generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you?” (Mark 1:19).
Jesus lamented and expressed his dissatisfaction that the disciples had been unable to cast out this demon. They did not think to reach out and ask God for His power. They were trying to cast out the spirit with their typical methods. And seemingly, they had given up.
But the boy’s father did not give up hope when Jesus was on the scene. Jesus asked the boy to be brought to him and helped the father feel understood, asking the father how long this demon had possessed the boy. Think of the father’s heartache to have a son who would go into convulsions and foam at the mouth when the demon enacted the possession! This was a powerful possession, and the father knew his only hope was God.
Why Did the Man Say 'I Believe Help My Unbelief'?
The boy’s father initially asked Jesus to help—if Jesus could. Faith being lacking is a theme in this passage. Once the disciples could not cast out the demon, the father added an “if you can” when asking Jesus to cast out the demon. Jesus responded graciously and encouragingly that everything is possible for the one with faith.
Recognizing his faithlessness, the father proclaimed his need and asked Jesus to help: “I believe, help my unbelief.”
The father displayed humility and honesty when he cried out. Given the difficulty of the situation—the disciples being unable to cast the demon out and the dire need of his son—it wasn’t surprising he questioned whether anything could be done. His humble prayer was for help from Jesus to firm his faith and to believe what seemed impossible. No one else could help him—but Jesus was not any man.
The father looked to Jesus and believed that Jesus could do anything. He believed through his unbelief. And Jesus accepted the humble honesty of this father—who cared so much for his boy that he did not want to miss this opportunity with Jesus due to his own faithlessness.
Jesus is, once again, gracious. Though the father’s faith was not what it could have been, Jesus was strong enough to act to heal this father’s boy. Jesus accepted the father’s weak faith and met it with powerful healing.
What Happened After the Man Said 'I Believe Help My Unbelief'?
Jesus healed the boy by commanding the spirit out. Jesus demonstrated his authority. The father could have faith in the God-man—fully God and fully man. Jesus powerfully cast out the demon. And we are shown that with God, all things are possible. Never again would this spirit enter the boy.
The unclean spirit came out, causing the boy to scream and convulse. The possession was so violent that the boy appeared dead after the unclean spirit left him. But Jesus took the boy by the hand, stood him up, and presented him to his father and the crowd around them. Jesus’ power and authority were on clear display.
After this, the disciples took Jesus aside and asked him why they had been unable to cast out the demon. Jesus revealed that it was a demon who could only come out through prayer. The disciples learned what their mistake had been. In their inability, they did not reach out to God through prayer.
What Does 'I Believe Help My Unbelief' Teach Us about Doubt?
Are you not grateful that Jesus accepts the prayer: “I believe, help my unbelief?” Jesus accepts our own humble and honest prayers. We might pray about our saving faith: “I believe that You are the Savior, but so much keeps me doubting—and I am afraid I have weak faith.” Many believers have questioned their faith—and we learn from the boy’s father in this story that the point of our faith is not having strong faith but having a strong Savior.
The boy’s father might have mistakenly put his faith in the disciples’ ability. And when they could not cast out the demon, he likely felt helpless. But with Jesus, there is always hope—whether concerning the salvation or healing we ask for.
We can have those times of wondering who can help us. Maybe no one in the world can help us—but God still can. And if He does not answer our prayer for healing in this life, we can be assured that God will answer our prayers for healing in the next life. We are not without hope. Just like the father, we can turn to Jesus and marvel. For his is the power and authority over all of our circumstances and all of our lives.
Doubt is not the place to say. The father in this passage wanted help with his doubt. But still, Jesus does not turn against the one who believes and has doubts. We are taught through this story that the human heart and mind are complex. We can believe, and we can have doubts—and we might have them simultaneously. Jesus is gracious to us in this area of our humanity.
God allows us a little glimpse into His mind when we hear Jesus lament that he was in an unbelieving generation. Jesus deserves extravagant faith from us. But we are not always at a place of giving it. This peek into the mind of God allows us to be all the more thankful for the graciousness of God in working with us as we are. Jesus does not turn the boy’s father away. Jesus encourages, blesses, heals, restores, and shows us who He is—the powerful and almighty God who commands spirits, and they must obey.
We are reminded to move forward with Jesus’ powerful teaching that all things are possible for the one who believes—even the one who believes with small faith.
Photo Credit: © GettyImages/Motortion
Lianna Davis is author of Keeping the Faith: A Study in Jude and Made for a Different Land: Eternal Hope for Baby Loss. She is also a contributor to We Evangelicals and Our Mission with Cascade Books. Lianna is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and a student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She lives in Illinois with her husband and daughter. You can learn more about her writing at her website.
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