“And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” ( Mark 9:29, KJV).

Once Jesus encountered a situation of a man who had a child paralyzed with a crippling and demobilizing spirit ( Mark 9:14-29). On seeing its havoc, as it threw the boy into a convulsion,  Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” ( vv 21). The boy’s father answered: “From childhood,” he answered.  “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” ( vv 22).

This father had a mountain standing in his way. It is quite apparent that he had tried all manner of relief, perhaps spent some money elsewhere trying to find a cure. The mountain stood tall and impenetrable. He certainly pleaded with the disciples who made some attempt, but to no avail. Finally the man got to Jesus. “When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again” ( 25). At that moment the boy was healed.

Amazed that where they could not Jesus had silenced this spirit, the disciples asked him how. This is when he said that kind only goes away, “by prayer and fasting” ( vv 29).

There are some mountains we come up to hindering us to progress to another level. We may try every effort known to us, yet to no avail. Faced with a moutain a desperate father run up to Jesus. After leveling it down he said some mountains can only be dealt through “prayer and fasting!”

Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, for that mountain standing in my way, help me rise and overcome it, through prayer and even fasting, as you will, this I pray in Jesus’ name!