The disciples who were left at the bottom of the mountain were overwhelmed by the magnitude of this case. They were confronted with a convulsing child whose demonic possession often cast him down near fire and water trying to destroy him. These disciples had tried all the things that they had seen Jesus do and the demons remained, strongly entrenched in their place. Besides all this, they were confronted by religious experts, the scribes, arguing with them about what they were trying to do. Our best efforts and methods can often meet with failure; all of the things we tried before have failed and we are left with depressing defeat. We want to help, but we can’t. So Jesus reminded them that they could only be successful by a full dependence on the Lord by prayer and fasting. (More on this in the next two devotionals).
“And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29).”
