Have You Stopped Asking God?
Matthew 17:19–20 (NASB)
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”
20 And He said to them, “Because of your meager 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 for you.”
Have you stopped asking God?
Most of our prayers involve asking God for something—and that isn’t a bad thing.
Often, when someone stops praying, it’s because they’ve likely stopped believing.
We no longer believe that change happens through prayer. Instead, our culture argues that change only comes through what we can do physically. We place more trust in our ability to buy solutions or to win victories politically.
It’s now common to find even family members in bitter feuds with one another. We scream at each other, trying to get the last word. And it begins to seem as though the only people who bring about change are the ones who are the loudest.
So it’s no wonder we might find ourselves asking: Why can’t we change anything, God? Will our humble prayers really make a difference?
The disciples, after trying to cast out a demon, are puzzled. Why couldn’t they do it?
We get a bit of insight from the same story as told by Mark:
Mark 9:29 (NKJV)
29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
Now, as I’ve mentioned this past Sunday, in some translations you may not find the word “fasting.” And while we don’t build theological arguments on a single verse, we do look at the totality of Scripture. One thing is clear: throughout Scripture, there is a consistent emphasis on the importance of prayer and fasting.
There is something about this humble posture—prayer and fasting—that Jesus says has the potential to change things.
Here’s how the Spirit Filled Bible comments on it:
“When you plant a seed, God changes the nature of that seed so that it becomes a plant; and the power of life surges in that tender young plant to such a great extent that even a mountain of earth cannot stop it from pushing upward!”
— Spirit Filled Bible Commentary
Jesus says our faith in God is like a seed. When we put our faith into action—when we release it to God—it takes on a completely new nature. It becomes a miracle in the making.
When we continue to ask God, we’re believing that He actually hears our prayers. Even more than that, we’re trusting that He is the one who changes things.
Jesus invites us to believe that things can change. And there isn’t a requirement for grand or impressive faith. Instead, we’re invited to bring our tiny faith. Like a mustard seed, it has the potential to become something so great that even a mountain can be moved.
Sometimes the world feels chaotic, and often the best response is not to shout or argue—but to pray. And I’ll say it again: prayer is not passive.
It is in prayer that we come to our proper place—dependence on God. And it’s from this posture that our faith has the capacity to grow into something truly powerful.
So keep praying.
Keep asking.
Take your requests to King Jesus.
Pray for your family.
Pray for your neighbors.
Pray for our city, our state, and our country.
Pray for our leaders.
Pray for peace in our nation.
And pray for those you might even consider your enemies.
Here’s the thing: it becomes much harder to remain angry with someone you’re praying for.
I leave you with this last word that Luke records Jesus saying:
Luke 11:9-13 NASB
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. 11 Now which one of you fathers will his son ask for a fish, and instead of a fish, he will give him a snake? 12 Or he will even ask for an egg, and his father will give him a scorpion? 13 So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
