He Has You

The problem with most believers is that they don’t believe. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23 NKJV). To the degree that you believe, things will become possible.

There’s a gap in our faith. There’s the level to which we intellectually know that God can do anything, and then there’s the degree to which we expect Him to. We pray for things but don’t really expect them because we really don’t believe as strongly as we like to think we do.

What would you pray for if you had faith that God could really do it? “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23 NKJV).

We struggle to believe because we pray for so many things that never get answered. We doubt that God will act. We lose our expectation of what He can do. This disbelief acts as a barrier to the flowing power of God from heaven here onto earth.

Everyone can pray, but very few really believe. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23 NKJV).

There are times in our lives when we really need to believe. There’s nothing that forces you to pray with greater fervency than when you, a loved one, or a friend are experiencing a health issue.

Imagine what seemingly impossible things God would do in your life if you would only believe. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’” (Mark 9:23 NKJV).

We cry out to God for Him to help us, to deliver us from what the disease is doing to us or what the injury is limiting in our life. We pray for the pain to subside. We pray for restoration of what we were able to do before. 

It’s more important that you believe God can help you than you keep asking Him in your unbelief. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23 NKJV).

I have this saying: For God to heal us of the condition we have, it’s a small thing to Him. He can raise people from the dead. He created everything, and He’s going to fix everything, so there’s nothing impossible for God.

The more you can believe, the higher your prayers will go. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23 NKJV).

The struggle is this: when you truly believe God can heal you, the hard part is when He doesn’t. The hardest truth in Scripture to understand is that God is sovereign and yet will sometimes allow you to suffer.

Belief is a doorway; the wider it is swung open, the greater the flow of the power of God. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23).

When Jesus was asked for healing, He said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” That’s where the title of my book, If You Can Believe, comes from. I often need to read through that book during times when more faith is needed.

The first step to walking in miracles is believing that you can. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23).

We have to realize that when Jesus said that all things are possible, He said they are possible—not that they will always happen. There are many things that people have prayed for with great faith. They believed God could do them, and God still didn’t do them.

It’s not what you know; it’s what you believe. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23).

Can you pray in faith, believing that all things are possible, even when all things don’t happen? When you’re praying for the pain to subside, and the pain persists, does it affect your faith? The test of our faith is not what God does when we ask Him to, but how strong we remain in our faith when He doesn’t.

Pray higher than you believe, and you’ll be getting closer to all that God can accomplish. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23 NKJV).

And so sometimes, in order to grow your faith, God will not answer your prayer the way you want Him to. Sometimes what we don’t understand is that pain and suffering can cause us to be in His will. And that’s a hard truth because we don’t want to suffer.

Father God, I know that every tear produced in suffering is not wasted in Your kingdom. Tears water the life so it can produce fruit. Every suffering has a purpose. I pray that You, Lord, would bless someone’s tears today. “You suffered, but the Holy Spirit made you glad. You became an example for all the Lord’s followers…” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 CEV).

I’ve been dealing with much pain during the past few weeks, and it has been getting worse. I’ve not been able to go preach, go into work, and do much of anything. But I keep going back to what my wife told me: “Well, God must have some good plans for you. He’s just polishing you.” Friends, can you believe that in your life?

Don’t underestimate the power of pain and all that it can do for your soul. “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]” (1 Peter 5:10 AMP).

Friends, children of God, brothers and sisters, I don’t know what you are going through. I know I have a lot of pain that I deal with, and those times are not easy. Look to God. Believe in all that He can do. Pray with expectation. Let your faith flourish when He says yes, and let your faith be pruned and strengthened when He says no.

The measure of your faith is equal to the measure of your expectation that God will do the requests that you bring to Him in prayer. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23 NKJV).

Know that God loves you just as much in your pain as He does in your pleasure. Know that Jesus suffered for you. Thank Him for the pain He willingly took upon His body so that you could be in heaven with Him forever.

God loves you even if your circumstances seem to prove otherwise. “’The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end; I will keep forever my promise of peace.’ So says the Lord who loves you” (Isaiah 54:10 GNT).

Testify through the hard times, for He is faithful and true. Trust in Him. He will bring you comfort. Let your faith be a witness to the people around you, so that even in your darkest times, His light will shine, and others will see the hope that you have in the Lord Jesus Christ and in all that He can do for you.

What impossible thing do you need to believe for that it might happen? “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23 NKJV).

And know that He has you. Give Him all your struggles, all your pain, and all your suffering. Just tell Him about it. Trust Him. He has you perfectly. He has you for all eternity. So don’t worry about the day. Look instead to all of His goodness.

If you believe more, then you’ll pray more. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes’” (Mark 9:23 NKJV).

Blessings to you always,

Paul Balius

The title of this week’s blog was the title of a book I wrote several years ago. In the book, I wrote about all the ways faith can carry you through anything. You can get this book on Amazon as an eBook or printed, but if you are tight on money and live in a country where Amazon prints books, just let me know; it would be an honor for me to send you a copy. We all need more faith. Are you ready to have more faith?

Here is part of the intro to the book, If You Can Believe:

When you see the word if in the Bible, you’re presented with a choice. You can choose either yes or you can choose no, but rarely anything in between. If you can believe, then all things are possible. If you can’t believe, then not all things are possible. This is not because your faith limits what the Lord can do, but because your faith will limit what the Lord chooses to do. So the things that are possible are up to you—“if you can believe.”

The problem we have with believing is that we think we’re simply too ill-equipped to believe. We think we need more strength or willpower so that we could do it. But when Jesus said, “If you can believe,” He wasn’t questioning your abilities, but your willingness. Growing in faith is not like climbing a mountain, but like falling backward into a deep canyon. One is by your effort; the other has to rely entirely on Him.

May God lift you up and comfort you with whatever burden you’re carrying today. Paul