Did you know you can have faith and unbelief at the same time? The father in Mark 9 said, Lord, I believe (that's faith), but then he said, help thou mine unbelief. When you were saved, you not only received salvation, you received everything Jesus had, including His faith. See 2 Peter 1:1. In fact, we all receive the same amount of faith. See Romans 12:3.
In Matthew 17:14-21 and in Mark 9:14-29, it tells the whole story about how this father came to Jesus for help in casting out a demon from his son, because the disciples were unable to do it. The disciples had plenty of faith. Jesus had given them the power to cast out demons and they had already cast out plenty of demons. Why then could they not cast out this demon? Jesus said it was because of their unbelief.
You see, unbelief challenges your faith. Unbelief sets in when you worry, or are full of care and stressed out. Unbelief sets in when you fear what the Bible says won't come to pass. Most of the unbelief that we have is based on what we see and how we feel. Dare I say that whatever the disciples saw while they were trying to cast out the demon frightened them? Dare I say that unbelief set in when the disciples let whatever they saw affect them more than what Jesus said to them?
How do we get rid of this unbelief? Jesus said it can only come out by prayer and fasting. See Matthew 17:21 and Mark 9:28-29. Think with me for a moment. Jesus could not have been talking about this kind of demon, because when you are casting out a demon, you would probably have time for a quick prayer, but you would not have time to fast. Jesus was talking about their unbelief. This kind of unbelief (the natural unbelief meaning what you see or feel) can only come out by prayer and fasting.
You do not fast to move God. You do not fast to move the devil. Fasting is designed to move you. Fasting doesn't give you more power or anointing. Fasting is designed to get your body and senses to line up with the Word of God. It is designed to attack carnality. Carnality is when your life is being controlled by what you see, hear, and feel (your senses). Fasting and prayer is how you begin to exercise your senses. You have to exercise your senses, so your senses don't govern what you believe, but line up with what you believe. See Hebrews 5:14.
Let's get rid of unbelief by praying and fasting, but also by meditating on God's promises instead of what we see, hear, and feel. Let's become spiritual Christians who are dominated by God's Word and by the Holy Spirit.
