Is Prayer Enough on Its Own?
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading:
“‘If you can’?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’” - Mark 9:23
How often do we pray, believing it will take more than prayer to receive our answer? By that meaning, do we, or someone else, need to do anything in addition to praying for God to answer us?
Do we tend to believe that we have to give money, or volunteer, along with prayer? That it’s not enough in itself for God to answer and move on our behalf?
Are we struggling to believe, thinking we can’t just ask and rely on Him to answer our prayers without adding to them in some way through our own efforts?
Fox News reports that a study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Department of Family and Community Medicine found that, “Adult patients experienced significant relief from pain and anxiety after just five minutes of in-person prayer,” more than from listening to five minutes of music.
Scripture describes how David, as a shepherd boy, played his harp to soothe King Saul, so history documents the popular saying “music soothes the savage beast.”
As 1 Samuel 16:23 describes, “Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.”
If God gave David’s music the power to bring relief, how much more has He given prayer the power to intervene in our lives?
When We Ask, Do We Believe Jesus Can?
Mark 9:22 reveals a man who wasn’t sure if Jesus could help his son who was being tormented, explaining and asking, “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
I love how Jesus answers, questioning the father and clarifying to him that it’s not a question of whether He can. It’s a given, because everything is possible with God, it just depends on our belief in Him.
It’s not up to Him, but up to us to believe, because how many times before praying do we preface our requests by “Lord, if you can”?
God doesn’t want us asking Him if He can; He wants us to believe that He is more than enough, as Jesus taught in John 15:7: “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
He is calling us to believe that all things are possible with Him, as He explained in Matthew 19:26: “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”
So if we struggle to believe, lacking in faith when we ask God, we can follow this father’s example as described in Mark 9:24: “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’”
Prayer Is More Than Enough
A powerful example of prayer being enough is found in the Old Testament book of Joshua. “On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: ‘Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon’” (Joshua 10:12).
Many of us wouldn’t even attempt to pray such an unlikely and seemingly impossible prayer. Yet, Joshua did ask, and when he did, the following happened: “So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day” (Joshua 10:13).
Sadly, many of us disqualify our requests to God before even asking Him, deciding that we’re asking too much or more than God can do. We make the decision ahead of time, rather than asking Him and seeing what happens.
As James 4:2 explains, “You do not have because you do not ask God.”
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Do you find yourself praying, but believing it’s not enough? Ask God to help your unbelief and to teach you how to believe that He can, and that prayer is more than enough.
Further Reading:
Does Prayer Really Change Things?
How did today’s devotional speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Crosswalk Devotional discussion.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/ThitareeSarmkasat
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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