14 Coming to the disciples, Jesus saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them. 15 Immediately all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him greeted him. 16 He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?”

17 One of the multitude answered, “Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit; 18 and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they weren’t able.”

19 He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”

20 They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth.

21 He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to him?”

He said, “From childhood. 22 Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.”

23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!”

26 Having cried out, and convulsed greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead; so much that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose.

28 When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 29 He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting.”

Mark 9:14-29 - World English Bible

"I believe. Help my unbelief!"

How many times have we been caught in a moment of crisis to call out in prayer? The prayer itself is an act of belief, but the immediate panic underlining the prayer revealed our doubt. This is not an "either-or" situation, but a moment of human indecision when we cry out for help. Such was the problem an unnamed father faced with his demon possessed child.

The situation was dire for the man. His son displayed self destructive issues that would even cause us to shrink away; he was a deaf-mute who foamed at the mouth, threw himself into fire and water, even to the point ow wasting away. The father asked the disciples who were not able to exorcise the demon. So the Lord ejected the spirit with a command. Notice the death-resurrection motif that foreshadowed what Jesus would experience; the more "infected" the person, the more that poor soul needed to die to the "infection" in order to live. Indeed, the Lord himself needed to suffer death, so he could conquer death. Fighting with great evil, Jesus said, required preparation, in the case of the deaf-mute, prayer and fasting.

"I believe. Help my unbelief." Our times of panic do pass, but do they strengthen or weaken our spirituality? It depends how we prepare for them We can't prepare directly, of course, but through prayer and other spiritual disciplines, we can keep our eyes on the Lord and fight off attacks from evil.

How do you prepare each day for times of trial?