When Our Faith Is Weak, We Should Ask God for Help
In these last days, people’s hearts are easily troubled by circumstances, hardships, temptations, fear, disasters, and uncertainty. When we cannot see the answer, our faith can easily become shaken.
Yet the Lord Jesus does not ask us to become strong through our own ability. Rather, He calls us to acknowledge our limitations and weaknesses and to come before Him with a sincere and humble heart.
When we say, “I believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”, we place our small and imperfect faith into God’s hands, allowing His grace and power to become our true strength.
1. This Unbelieving Generation
Mark 9:19
Jesus answered them, saying, “O unbelieving generation! How long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”
This passage reminds us that unbelief is a serious spiritual condition. In a world filled with uncertainty and opposition to God, our faith can easily be weakened. Therefore, we must continually turn our hearts back to the Lord.
2. Lord, Have Mercy on Us and Help Us
Mark 9:20–22
So they brought the boy to Jesus. When the spirit saw Him, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
The father replied, “From childhood. The spirit has often thrown him into the fire or into the water to kill him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
The father was desperate. He knew that he could not solve the problem himself. Therefore, he brought his helplessness before Jesus and asked for mercy and help.
This is an important lesson for us: when we recognize our inability, we should not run away from God; we should run toward Him.
3. “I Believe; Help Me Overcome My Unbelief!”
Mark 9:23–24
Jesus said to him, “‘If You can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
This is one of the most honest prayers in Scripture.
The father did not pretend to have perfect faith. He openly acknowledged both his faith and his weakness.
“Lord, I believe—but my faith is weak. Help me!”
This teaches us that we do not need to wait until our faith becomes perfect before coming to God. We can bring even our small faith, doubts, fears, and weaknesses before Him and ask Him to strengthen us.
4. Jesus Rebuked the Unclean Spirit
Mark 9:25–27
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again!”
The spirit cried out, convulsed the boy violently, and came out. The boy appeared to be dead, and many people said, “He is dead.”
But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
What appeared to be the end was not the end.
When human strength reaches its limit, God’s power is not limited.
5. We Must Continually Pray and Fast
Mark 9:28–29
After Jesus had entered the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
Jesus answered, “This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.”
This passage teaches us the importance of continually seeking God through prayer and fasting. Prayer and fasting are expressions of our recognition that we are limited and that we cannot accomplish everything through our own strength.
They turn our hearts away from self-reliance and toward God’s grace and power.
When our faith is weak, we should ask the Lord for help.
True faith does not necessarily mean, “I will never be afraid.”
Rather, it means:
“Even though I am afraid, I choose to trust God.”
“Even though I cannot see the answer, I still believe that God is in control.”
“Even though my faith is very small, I will place that little faith into the hands of the Lord.”
6. Salvation Is by the Grace of God
Why should we ask the Lord for help when our faith is weak?
Ephesians 2:8–9
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
This passage teaches us that genuine faith is not something we manufacture through sheer human determination. Faith is ultimately a gift from God.
We must acknowledge our inability and weakness before God. When we surrender our self-reliance and fully depend upon Him, we become able to receive His grace.
When circumstances are favorable, it is easy for us to have faith. But when we face illness, hardship, disaster, suffering, financial pressure, opposition, uncertainty, or an unclear future, our faith can easily be shaken.
Our faith comes from God, and God gives faith.
True faith from God is demonstrated when we continue to trust Him even when we cannot see the answer.
Even if our faith is very small, we can still come before God and ask Him to increase our faith.
The foundation of our salvation is not how great our faith is, but how great God’s grace is.
7. God Gives Faith to Those Who Are in Christ
Ephesians 2:7
“In the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:10
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
These passages show us that God gives grace to those who are in Christ, and He works in their lives according to His purpose.
So how should we live in Christ and experience God’s grace and the faith He gives?
John 14:23
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love them, and We will come to them and make Our home with them.”
This teaches us that those who love Christ should obey His words. Our relationship with Christ is not merely intellectual belief; it involves loving Him, obeying Him, and walking according to His Word.
As we surrender ourselves to Christ and follow His teaching, we experience His presence, grace, guidance, and transforming work in our lives.
8. Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
Proverbs 3:5–6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
We must choose to place ourselves in God’s hands.
True faith sometimes does not mean, “I understand everything.”
Instead, it means:
“Lord, I cannot see the whole picture, but I still trust You.”
“Lord, I do not understand what You are doing, but I believe You are with me.”
“Lord, my faith is weak. Please strengthen and sustain me.”
Faith means choosing to trust God even when our understanding is incomplete.
9. Every Good Gift Comes from God
Job 1:21
“The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
James 1:17
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”
These Scriptures remind us that everything we have ultimately comes from God.
Our life, opportunities, family, work, health, financial resources, joy, blessings, and every good gift are not things we should take for granted. They are gifts of God’s providence and grace.
Therefore, we should live with gratitude rather than pride, recognizing that everything we have ultimately comes from the Lord.
10. God Gives Grace to the Humble
James 4:6
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
Those who are proud before God tend to rely upon their own intelligence, abilities, experience, and resources. They are unwilling to acknowledge their limitations.
But those who humble themselves before God can say:
“Lord, I cannot do this by myself.”
Therefore, they are willing to come before God and seek His help.
God gives grace to the humble—not because humble people are inherently better than others, but because they are willing to surrender themselves and receive His grace.
When people place themselves in God’s position and rely upon themselves instead of depending upon Him, they can lose sight of the grace and guidance God desires to give them.
Conclusion
“The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
When we face circumstances that we cannot understand or predict, we should continually trust in God. And when our faith is weak, we should continually ask the Lord for help.
Everything we have comes from His grace. Therefore, when our faith is weak, we should not become discouraged, nor should we rely upon our own wisdom and strength. Instead, we should trust in the Lord with all our hearts and seek His will through prayer and fasting.
Even when we cannot see the road ahead, even when our circumstances make us afraid, and even when questions remain in our hearts, we can still choose to trust God.
True faith does not mean that we never experience weakness.
True faith means that even in our weakness, we continue to hold on to the Lord.
Lord, I believe; help me overcome my unbelief. Strengthen my faith, sustain me in my weakness, and teach me to look to You, trust You, and obey You in every circumstance, until Your will is accomplished.
