Help Thou Mine Unbelief

The Fog

This father names both belief and unbelief together here, worth examining directly, I believe, help thou mine unbelief, not one replacing the other, but both, genuinely, simultaneously present, worth holding as honest picture of what real faith often, actually looks like, mixed rather than pure.

This is worth examining against however much you have assumed genuine faith requires the complete absence of doubt, rather than this verse’s own honest model, belief and unbelief held together, worth trusting as legitimate, not a lesser, compromised faith but genuine faith honestly, actually experienced.

Notice Jesus’s own response to this mixed prayer, in the verses that follow, does not rebuke this honesty but actually, genuinely heals the child, worth holding as reassurance that this kind of honest, mixed faith is not rejected, but genuinely, actually received and answered by Christ himself.

Whatever belief and unbelief currently, honestly coexist in your own heart, pray this father’s own exact words today, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief, trusting that Jesus receives this same honest mixture, the way he received it here, without requiring pure, doubt-free faith first.