Matthew 17:19-21
Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

What are we missing out on because of our unbelief?  Look what God says can be accomplished with just the smallest amount of faith.  He says mountains can move.  He says nothing shall be impossible, which makes anything possible.  So why are we limiting Him?  How is our faith so small that we’re doing nothing and all these mountains remain unmoved?  Why are we, like the disciples, crying to Jesus and asking Him why we couldn’t do anything at all?

So, what could happen, what would happen, if we let go of doubt and removed self totally from the equation?  What might be accomplished if we bowed before our Lord and Master, before the sovereign God of all, with a mustard seed of faith in this great God and asked Him to move?  What if we were willing to spend that time toiling in prayer, on our knees, denying ourselves with fasting before Him and imploring Him to do something?

Perhaps we are too flippant with our attitudes on prayer and seeking God and praying to Him.  Perhaps it’s just easier to ask for His blessings and go on with our day than to take time to really dig into the heart of the issue, to find what He wants and what His will is and how He wants to move.  Maybe we are still trying to act in our own strength instead of truly surrendering all to Him.  Maybe our pride wants some of the glory and we want to accomplish some amazing thing ourselves and so we leave Him out of it.  Maybe we just have to get to a place where we’re desperate.  Maybe it will take getting to a place where a mountain blocks our progress, where something overwhelming impedes us, where the magnitude of what we face looms so large that we understand our weakness, our smallness, and our need for God and nothing else.

The disciples had gone out previously with God’s power upon them to heal, to cast out devils, and to preach the Gospel.  They seemingly had not lost the ability to do that, but perhaps they forgot that it was Jesus who enabled them in the first place.  Perhaps they didn’t stop and seek His help and His power and His working to intercede in the situation.  So may that be a lesson to us.  If we want to continue on in the work of God, it takes time in prayer.  It takes fasting.  It takes unwavering trust in all that God is and all He is able to do.  And if we are surrendered to Him enough to live that way, those mustard seeds can bloom and we’ll see God do the impossible.