Anything is Possible for those who Believe

There is a moment in Scripture that feels painfully honest.

A father brings his son to Jesus. The boy is suffering. The father is desperate. He has already tried everything. Nothing has worked. So he says something many of us have thought but are afraid to admit out loud.

“If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

Jesus responds in Mark 9:23 with words that are often quoted but rarely explained.

“‘If you can?’” Jesus said. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Jesus is not shaming this man. He is exposing something deeper.

The issue is not God’s ability.
The issue is belief shaped by fear and disappointment.

This father believed enough to show up. But his faith was mixed with doubt. He wanted to believe, but he had already experienced failure. His words reveal uncertainty. “If you can.”

Jesus gently turns the question around. Not to condemn him, but to clarify where the tension really is.

Fear and doubt often sound reasonable. They are built from past pain, unanswered prayers, and moments where things did not work out the way we hoped. Over time, fear teaches us to lower our expectations. Doubt convinces us to protect ourselves from disappointment.

But Jesus reminds us that faith is not about pretending fear does not exist. It is about deciding who we trust in the presence of it.

Immediately after Jesus speaks, the father responds with one of the most honest prayers in the Bible.

“I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.”

That prayer matters.

God does not require perfect faith. He responds to honest faith. Faith that admits fear. Faith that names doubt. Faith that still shows up.

Mark 9:23 is not saying that belief is a magic formula or that doubt disqualifies you. It is saying that fear does not get the final word. What feels impossible to you is not impossible to God.

Belief, in this passage, is not confidence in yourself. It is trust in who Jesus is.

You can believe and still struggle.
You can have faith and still feel afraid.
You can bring both to God.

Prayer becomes the place where fear is named and trust is rebuilt.

Jesus does not turn this man away. He meets him in the middle of belief and unbelief. And that is where healing begins.

A Simple Prayer for Doubt and Fear

I cast out all doubt and all fear. Lord, I pray that any moment that I am letting fear hold me back from being and believing in you and all that you have promised me, I pray that you remind me that in your word it says the, the Lord is my helper, I shall not fear. I declare and I decree I will no longer let fear hold me hostage. I will not be a prisoner of my doubts. I declare and I decree I am and wonderfully and fearfully made by you. I am free in Christ and I shall walk in that power today. In Jesus name, Amen.