While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. Luke 9:42-43.

Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:

I am present as your helper. This means we are partners. You should not think of yourself performing for Me or Me performing for you, people fall into both these extremes. It is My power and your faith; it is the vine and the branch, you being the branch. In both cases, the result shows up in you and your life but its source is in Me. Partners. “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.” Hebrews 3:1. “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship (koinonia, which means partnership, fellowship, sharing) with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9.

And living in this fellowship of partnership with Me will bring days of Heaven on earth. You are partakers of a heavenly calling, “so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 1:12.

We are looking at the next miracle in the gospel according to Matthew, which is right after the transfiguration, in fact, it occurs just after Jesus, Peter, James, and John come down from the mountain. They find the other disciples and a whole crowd waiting for Jesus. The other disciples were trying to do the work Jesus had instructed them to go out and do as the twelve, but they were not making any headway with a demon possessed boy that the father had brought to them for healing. And yet when Jesus had sent them out to do the work of the ministry (partners with Him) He had authorized them to go forth to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand to heal the sick and cast out demons. Matthew 10:5-8.

This miracle is recounted in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, with Mark giving you the most details of what took place.

When they came down from the mountain and returned to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around the disciples, and some scribes arguing with them. Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” Mark 9:14-18. Matthew tells a little more about the father’s approach to Jesus, “a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” Matthew 17:14-16.

The demonic activity in this boy was severe but the father had come looking for Jesus because of what he had heard about him healing those who were ill and casting out demons. So he did have faith that Jesus could do these things or he would not have come to Him for help. The disciples had also been given the authority to cast out demons and heal the sick but nothing was happening. Jesus later explained to them that this kind needed prayer. This tells you that the disciples had been busy with their assignments, even arguing among themselves who was the greatest, but they were neglecting prayer. Jesus would go off and pray but if you note they would come looking for Him and pull Him away from that for more activity. The same the night He was praying on the hillside alone and they were all busy rowing the boat. And in the Garden of Gethsemane He asked them to pray one hour with Him and they promptly fell asleep. And even in the transfiguration I told you that Jesus was praying, but Luke tells you the three disciples fell asleep and woke up when they heard voices which turned out to be Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus and then My voice. “And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.” Luke 9:29-32.

They heard the teaching and preaching of Jesus, and they saw the miracles He was doing, but they were not having a deep relationship of prayer with Me yet. Jesus was guiding them to that and then My Holy Spirit gave them access to Me. And after that it changed and prayer became a priority. “So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:2-4. To be effective they knew that prayer was a priority and they taught the first believers that as well, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 1:42.

Jesus looked around at the crowd and His disciples as well as the frantic man and He did not see the partnership of faith that was needed. And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” Matthew 17:17.

Doubt and unbelief, and the spirit of fear, had kept My people out of the promised land I looked forward to giving them to enjoy and here it was keeping My people from taking the benefits I was trying to give them in Jesus, their redeemer. I can do no miracles in you if you block them by doubt, unbelief and fear. And the only way you can overcome those is by learning who you are and what I have freely given you in Christ and knowing I am on your side no matter what.

And how do you get to that point? The same way the first believers did, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching (hearing My Word about Christ gives you faith by knowing My Will) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 1:42. And you have all these things at your disposal today

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He had given His disciples the authority to cast out demons and to heal the sick and yet they did not use it. The same is true of many of you.

Matthew tells you the final result, “And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.” Matthew 17:18. But Mark adds more details as well as Luke. “They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:20-23. Jesus was leading this man into faith and how to partner with Him in the miracle for his son. The man was blaming the disciples and Jesus that the demon had not been cast out and leaving out any responsibility on his part. He really had no faith in his own ability, had lost faith in the disciples’ ability, and now was questioning Jesus’ ability, i.e., “if you can.”

The man picked up on what Jesus was teaching him and immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” Mark 9:24. He had pinpointed the problem, he was double minded, he believed and yet he did not believe because he had lived with it so many years without seeing any change even though he prayed about it. But he had not prayed a prayer of faith, he had just begged like he came and did to Jesus when he called out from the crowd. “And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy, and a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.” Luke 9:38-40. He was begging Jesus and he was begging the disciples but to no avail because when you are a beggar it shows you have no faith that My Will is to heal you. You don’t know My Word and, even if you do, begging shows a lack of trust and a lack of believing in My love for you. You are not sure I will give you a good outcome. My apostle Paul was persuaded of My promises for he knew in whom he had believed. He wrote, “And we KNOW that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28. And My beloved John wrote that he knew and believed in the love I had for him.

When the early community of believers united together in prayer they got results (Peter out of prison for one) and the place shook where they prayed and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:31.

Nothing is too hard for Me. Nothing is impossible for Me and all things are possible for those who believe that.

After the man asked Jesus to help him by filling in where his faith was lacking, when Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” Mark 9:25. Pay attention to that rebuke. Copy it down so you can use it as well to fit your situation. It is simple and straight to the point. When you know My Will you do not need a lengthy prayer. People that pray all over the place, so to speak, are not sure what My Will is. This is inexcusable if you have been reading My Word.

And the unclean spirit knew a command of authority. It tried one last effort to scare everyone off but it had to come out. After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.” Mark 9:26-29.

Matthew adds more details of the conversation here. “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. Matthew 17:19-20.

Jesus is telling you to exercise your faith. Not just to hear God’s Word but to do God’s Word.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall. Matthew 7:24-27.

And to release the promise in My Word you must return it to Me by speaking it. YOU HAVE TO ANSWER THINGS WITH THE TRUTH OF MY WORD AND REBUKE THINGS CONTRARY TO MY WORD. Next cast the demon out and then worship. Worship (fellowship with God) is your goal.

And what was the final result in this miracle? When they brought the boy to Jesus and the father handed the faith issue over to Jesus, While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. Luke 9:37-43.

All were amazed at My greatness.

Are you? Sing with Mary, “The Almighty has done great things for me and holy is His Name.”

I love you with an everlasting love, and we are Covenant partners. But you have a part as well and it is called faith. And the spirit of faith is that you believe in your heart and then speak it with your mouth and then do it in your life.

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25.