得力源於禱告
馬可福音九章9至29節
9下山的時候，耶穌囑咐他們說：人子還沒有從死裡復活，你們不要將所看見的告訴人。
10門徒將這話存記在心，彼此議論從死裡復活是甚麼意思。
11他們就問耶穌說：文士為甚麼說以利亞必須先來？
12耶穌說：以利亞固然先來復興萬事；經上不是指著人子說，他要受許多的苦被人輕慢呢？
13我告訴你們，以利亞已經來了，他們也任意待他，正如經上所指著他的話。
14耶穌到了門徒那裡，看見有許多人圍著他們，又有文士和他們辯論。
15眾人一見耶穌，都甚希奇，就跑上去問他的安。
16耶穌問他們說：你們和他們辯論的是甚麼？
17眾人中間有一個人回答說：夫子，我帶了我的兒子到你這裡來，他被啞吧鬼附著。
18無論在那裡，鬼捉弄他，把他摔倒，他就口中流沫，咬牙切齒，身體枯乾。我請過你的門徒把鬼趕出去，他們卻是不能。
19耶穌說：噯！不信的世代阿，我在你們這裡要到幾時呢？我忍耐你們要到幾時呢？把他帶到我這裡來罷。
20他們就帶了他來。他一見耶穌，鬼便叫他重重的抽瘋，倒在地上，翻來覆去，口中流沫。
21耶穌問他父親說：他得這病有多少日子呢？回答說：從小的時候。
22鬼屢次把他扔在火裡、水裡，要滅他。你若能做甚麼，求你憐憫我們，幫助我們。
23耶穌對他說：你若能信，在信的人，凡事都能。
24孩子的父親立時喊著說（有古卷：立時流淚的喊著說）：我信！但我信不足，求主幫助。
25耶穌看見眾人都跑上來，就斥責那污鬼說：你這聾啞的鬼，我吩咐你從他裡頭出來，再不要進去！
26那鬼喊叫，使孩子大大的抽了一陣瘋，就出來了。孩子好像死了一般。以致眾人多半說：他是死了。
27但耶穌拉著他的手，扶他起來，他就站起來了。
28耶穌進了屋子，門徒就暗暗的問他說：我們為甚麼不能趕出他去呢？
29耶穌說：非用禱告（有古卷在此有：禁食二字），這一類的鬼總不能出來（或作：不能趕出他去來）。
信息分享
今天我們要學的最重要功課，是上述經文的最後一節。在這之前，門徒曾經成功驅趕污鬼，但這次卻不成功；他們對此感到大惑不解。基督非常清楚說出原因。祂在19節首先指出他們缺乏信心，繼而在第29節表示他們必須藉著禱告，才能把污鬼趕出來。
他們之所以沒有能力，是因為缺少禱告。這對我們今天來說有何提醒呢？我們經常渴望能看見神成就大事，但是在現實生活中，我們卻只看見自己是那麼軟弱，敵人卻是那麼強大。歸根究底，是否正因為我們缺少禱告？
主在這裡所指的「禱告」，不是指一次的禱告，而是指一顆恆常禱告的心或我們稱之為的「禱告生活」。基督的意思是：除非我們在生活中學習凡事信靠神，仰賴神的能力而不是自己的力量去解決問題，我們才能面對和處理類似的困難。
這豈不是我們今天要學的一項重要功課嗎？我們若希望自己有足夠的能力去面對生活中的大小困難，就必須常常禱告，透過禱告來明白神的心意和支取神的能力。
撒但當然不喜歡我們向神禱告，所以他會想盡法來阻撓我們、誘騙我們，使我們忽視禱告。而且，我們肉體的罪性也驅使我們只懂倚靠自己，懶於禱告。然而，當我們知道，我們只有藉著禱告，才能得到神的賜福、加力和幫助，才能過得勝的生活，我們就絕不可以忽略禱告。我們擔心自己缺乏恆心和持久力？那麼，我們就更加需要向神禱告，求神加力，以及求聖靈幫助我們禱告了。
反思：
倘若神的兒子也要經常禱告，我們豈不需要更多的禱告？
POWERLESS BECAUSE PRAYERLESS
Mark 9:9-29
9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
10 So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.
11 And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? ”
12 Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things.And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?
13 But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.”
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.”
Message
The greatest lesson for us today is found in the final verse of our reading. The disciples had cast out demons before this, but now they couldn't do it. They couldn't understand why. Christ told them the answer very plainly. In verse 19 he has pointed out their lack of faith but in verse 29 he said that prayer was what was needed most of all.
They were powerless because they were prayerless. What does that say to us today? We so often long to see great things accomplished for God but somehow we seem so weak and the enemy seems so strong. Is the reason our lack of prayer?
The word which our Lord used here really means an attitude or a spirit of prayer - not just one moment of prayer. We could call it 'a life of prayer'. Christ was saying that only a life lived in dependence on God - a life that does not depend on its own strength in any way-could ever face up to a situation like this.
So the lesson for us from our reading is very clear, isn't it? If we are ever to be sufficient in the various situations that face us every day, we must be men and women who know how to pray. We need to give ourselves to praying more. Yet this is one of the hardest things we can do.
Satan does not want us to pray. Our own flesh does not want to pray. But if we want God's blessing and the strength and victory he can give, the answer is very simple - we need to pray. Can we ask God to help us do it?
A THOUGHT:
If Christ the Son of God needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray?