Pray in the Spirit on all occasions.
—Ephesians 6:18
It was frustrating. Perplexing. Embarrassing. These were Jesus’ specially chosen disciples—and they had miserably failed.
Jesus had earlier given them authority to cast out demons and heal the sick. And they had been wildly successful (Mk 6:7, 13).
But not today! They attempted to cure a demon-possessed child but couldn’t (Mk 9:17–18). Surprised and confused by their failure, they asked Jesus, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” His reply was something like this: “You failed because you forgot to do something very important: you forgot to pray.”
A good reminder for us as well. We often overestimate our abilities—especially if we’ve had a string of successes. It is fatal to leave God out of the process. It is God who has all the power and deserves all the glory.
Don’t proceed without praying.