Overcoming Unbelief: Passing On Faith

Everyone experiences unbelief and we are all meant to overcome it!  God gives us the ability to not only overcome unbelief, but to pass on faith to others.

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered.  “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark 9:17-24

The disciples were supposed to pass on faith, but instead they passed on unbelief.This man wanted to believe, but was unbelieving.

Have you ever believed in one area of your life, but not in another?

The place to start is admitting where you are unbelieving. Then make the choice to believe that God can help. We are usually most unbelieving in areas that we or others haven’t changed in a while.

What do you pass on to people? Faith or unbelief?

Belief Is Gained In Prayer

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Mark 9:28-29

The disciples could have healed the boy.  They just needed to pray. The disciples didn’t know what to do or how to help.

What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Do you pray?

Some things can only change with prayer.Prayer is powerful. Belief is gained when we remember and pray about what God has already done in our lives. Belief is gained when we pray specific prayers and watch God answer them.

Start praying to overcome the things you are most unbelieving about.

Faith Is Passed On With Action

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

James 2:17-18 (NLT)

After you pray about what you want to change, take action! You a need a bit of faith to take action and taking action will build more faith. When you go after changing your life and helping others change, it will inspire faith in everyone who sees you. There is nothing that builds more faith than an inspiring example.

Questions/Application

• What do you want to change?

• What are you unbelieving about right now? About your life? About others?

• Are you praying about these things?

• What is something you are afraid to take on that you know God wants you to do? Do it this week.

• Who is someone you know that needs help overcoming any area of their life?  Help them this week.

Prayer Ideas

• We often fail to pray about what we are the most unbelieving about.

• Decide to pray about what you are unbelieving about daily. Admit it. Ask God for help. Ask God to increase your faith. Ask for courage to take action.  End your prayer with a choice to trust God and take action that day.

Additional Reading

• Mark – Learn about faith and prayer from Jesus

• James – Learn about faith and action