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Mark 9:29

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Mark 9:29

Verse 29 of 50

Scripture focus

And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Mark 9:29 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Mark 9:29

Theological / Devotional

This kind. The scribes had attributed the helplessness of the nine disciples to the presumed superior power of the demon, asserting that Jesus’ control was limited to the less powerful demons (cf. DA 427). The real trouble, however, lay not in the power of the demon, but in the spiritual impotence of the disciples.

But by prayer. Christ does not here refer to prayer offered in connection with the casting out of demons. He is not concerned with momentary prayer, but with a life actuated by prayer. During the absence of Peter, James, and John with Christ, the nine disciples had been dwelling on their discouragements and personal grievances, in a spirit of jealousy because of the favor shown their absent companions (see DA 431). Their state of mind and heart made it impossible for God to work through them.

Fasting. Textual evidence favors the omission (cf. p. 146) of this word. See on Matt. 6:16; Mark 2:18.

By SdaBc