經文: 「門徒暗暗的到耶穌跟前說：我們為什麼不能趕出那鬼呢？耶穌說：是因你們的信心小……這一類的鬼，若不禱告禁食，牠就不出來。」— [聖經·馬太福音 17章19-21節]
耶穌的門徒常常趕鬼，但這次他們能力不夠，趕不走鬼，他們就來請教耶穌，耶穌的答案很簡單：「因你們的信心小。」
我們也常問為何我們很難保持耶穌時刻的同在，就像聖經所應許的？答案很簡單：因為我們不信。我們不明白「信」就是接受上帝所「應許的」，並寄望其發生；信心的真義就是承認自己完全無助，惟有絕對地信靠上帝、依賴上帝。我們信心太軟弱，我們信不來「上帝說到就會做到」，我們沒有全心全意相信「上帝有奇妙大能」，能做感化改變人心的工作。
為何我們缺乏大的信心？「這一類的鬼，若不禱告禁食，牠就不出來。」，若要對上帝有強大的信心，就必須持續不斷強而有力的禱告。信心的成長不是一蹴可及的，它需要付上代價；不僅是禱告而已，而是禁食迫切地禱告，且抓住上帝的話語直到祂成就。強而有力的禱告，需要棄絕老我，戒除肉體的情慾、眼目的驕傲；因為這一切都來自於世界的靈，若要得天國的獎賞，須犧牲這地上所提供的享受，只讓上帝滿足我們的心，讓祂在我們心中作奇妙工作，藉著信心的大能，趕走一切的邪靈。是的，為要趕走頑強邪惡的靈，「禁食禱告」是迫切必要的。
—《 神 的 心 意 》
[每日靈修 7月21日]
作者：慕安德烈
編輯：榮華興
『 Why could we not? 』
Scripture: “The disciples came to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast it out? He saith unto them, Because of your little faith. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” — [Matthew 17:19-21]
The disciples had often cast out devils. But here they had been impotent. They asked the Lord what the reason might be. His answer is very simple: “Because of your little faith.”
We have here the reply to the great question so often asked, How is it that we cannot live that life of unbroken fellowship with Christ which the Scripture promises? Simply, because of our unbelief. We do not realize that faith must accept and expect that God will, by His almighty power, fulfil every promise He has made. We do not live in that utter helplessness and dependence on God alone which is the very essence of faith. We are not strong in the faith, fully persuaded that what God has promised He is able and willing to perform. We do not give ourselves with our whole heart simply to believe that God by His almighty power will work wonders in our hearts.
But what can be the reason that this faith is so often lacking? “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” To have a strong faith in God needs a life in close touch with Him by persistent prayer. We cannot call up faith at our bidding; it needs close intercourse with God. It needs not only prayer, but fasting too in the larger and deeper meaning of that word. It needs the denial of self, the sacrifice of that pleasing of the flesh and the eye and the pride of life which is the essence of a worldly spirit. To gain the prizes of the heavenly life here on earth needs the sacrifice of all that earth can offer. Just as it needs God to satisfy the human heart, and work His mighty miracles in it, it needs the whole man, utterly given up to God, to have the power of that faith which can cast out every evil spirit. “Prayer and fasting” are essential.
— God’s Best Secrets by Andrew Murray
「 21 July 」
