Help my unbelief
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” ~ Mark 9:24
Have you ever found yourself believing God while also battling disappointment at the exact same time? You’re praying, thanking Him, and trying to stay encouraged, yet deep down you’re wrestling with thoughts that whisper, “What if this never changes?” That tension between faith and feelings is something many believers experience, but few people talk about honestly.
What I love about this father in Mark 9 is his transparency. He didn’t pretend to have perfect faith. He didn’t hide his struggle. He brought both his belief and his unbelief to Jesus. Then instead of rejecting him for it, Jesus responded with compassion and power.
Yesterday, I was believing God for some specific things about my workday. When I got to work, it didn’t look like things were headed in the direction I had prayed about. Still, I maintained my attitude and kept believing that God was with me and that things would work out despite my disappointment. At one point, I remember specifically thinking, “Can I be in faith and disappointed at the same time?”
Every time the disappointment tried to come up, I just kept placing the situation back before the Lord. Surprisingly, in an instant, God turned everything around. The very thing I had been disappointed about shifted back into what I had asked Him for that morning. Then it happened two more times that same day. Situations that appeared to be going the wrong direction suddenly changed at just the right moment. I simply kept thanking Him and trusting Him despite what things looked like outwardly. He is so faithful.
That experience reminded me of Ephesians 4:26, which says, “Be angry, and do not sin.” For years, I wondered how that was even possible. How can someone feel disappointed, frustrated, or upset and still not fall into sin?
Yesterday reminded me that even when circumstances don’t look good, and even when disappointment or frustration tries to rise up, I can still maintain my faith by keeping the situation in God’s hands and thanking Him while He’s working things out. Instead of grumbling, complaining, or talking negatively about how unfair everything feels, I can choose trust. I can rejoice because God’s still in control, even when I can’t yet see the outcome.
In today’s scripture, we read about a father who brought his son to Jesus for healing. When Jesus wasn’t immediately available, the disciples tried to help, but nothing changed. The father could have walked away offended or hopeless, but he didn’t. I’m sure he felt disappointed when things didn’t improve right away, but instead of giving up, he stayed and waited for Jesus.
When Jesus arrived, He told the man to believe because all things are possible to the one who believes. Immediately, the father recognized something important. He did believe, but he also recognized there was still unbelief trying to creep into his heart.
That’s the place where many of us struggle. It’s the moment where circumstances try to speak louder than God’s promises. It’s the place where disappointment tries to convince us to stop believing. But this father showed us something powerful. He didn’t hide his struggle from Jesus. He brought it honestly before Him.
There are practical ways we can hold onto our faith when disappointment tries to pull us in another direction.
- Keep bringing the situation back to God in prayer instead of replaying it in worry. When anxious thoughts rise up, stop and pray again. Even short prayers throughout the day keep your heart connected to Him.
- Thank God before you see the answer. Gratitude keeps your heart positioned in faith. Thanking Him reminds you that He’s still working even when you can’t yet see movement.
- Guard your words carefully. Avoid speaking constant negativity about the situation. Your words can either strengthen your faith or feed discouragement.
- Stay close to God’s Word. Faith grows when you continue filling your heart with truth instead of focusing only on circumstances.
- Don’t give up too quickly. Sometimes God turns situations around suddenly and unexpectedly, just like He did for me yesterday. What looks impossible in one moment can completely shift in the next.
If you’re struggling to know where to begin, start small. Take one situation that’s weighing heavily on you and intentionally place it back into God’s hands every time worry tries to show up. Instead of saying, “This will never change,” begin saying, “Lord, I trust You with this.” Those small moments of surrender matter more than you realize.
Today I want to encourage you to keep believing God even when your emotions are trying to pull you in another direction. Faith does not mean you never feel disappointment. It means you continue bringing your heart to Jesus in the middle of it. Just like the father in Mark 9, you can honestly say, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief,” and trust that Jesus is compassionate enough to meet you there. Don’t give up because things haven’t changed yet. God is still working behind the scenes, and suddenly, at the right moment, everything can shift. Keep thanking Him, keep trusting Him, and keep your eyes on the One who is always faithful.
Today’s scripture reading: Mark 9:14-29
14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.
15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.
16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”
17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.
18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”
19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”
20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood.
22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”
26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
Journal:
- What situation in my life am I currently struggling to keep believing God for?
- Have disappointment or outward circumstances started affecting my faith?
- What thoughts or words do I need to stop agreeing with?
- How can I intentionally thank God today before I see the answer?
- What would it look like for me to fully place this situation back into God’s hands?
The Daily Dose 