The scene was set. The distraught father had brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples, hoping that they would be able to heal him. But the disciples were not able to do so.

Just then, Jesus arrived on the scene with Peter, James and John. The father approached Jesus and said, “I brought him, and they couldn’t help him. If You can do anything…”

The father, having already been disappointed, doubted Jesus’ ability to heal his son.

Jesus responded by saying, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Jesus shifts the responsibility right back to the father, letting him know that he had a part to play in the healing of his son. His part was to believe.

What most Christians fail to realize is that there are two sides to the coin of “all things are possible with God” (Matt. 19:26). One side of the coin says, “All things are possible with God.” But when you turn the coin over it says, “All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).

All things are possible with God. All things are possible to the one who believes. God wants us to understand that we have a part to play.

You are probably familiar with the verse in Ephesians 3:20 which tells us that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we can ask or think. But the rest of the verse says, “…according to the power at work in us.” In other words, God has a part to play, and we have a part to play.

This truth is reinforced in 1 Corinthians 3:9 where the apostle Paul tells us that we’re fellow workers together with God.

If you and I want to see things change in our lives and circumstances… and in the lives and circumstances of those around us…we must do our part by believing and praying. Don’t just think that God is going to sovereignly intervene.