Increase Our Faith

Q. In your article (“O you of little faith”) you wrote: “As the apostles said to the Lord, our prayer should also be, “Increase our faith!” ”

Is this an appropriate request? Can we ask this really? I always thought it would be good,but Jesus’s answer to that request seemed dismissive to me. Am I misunderstood Him and the whole thing?And if He increases our faith how He do that?

A. In Mark 9:14-29 the father of a demon possessed boy asked Jesus to heal his son, “If you can.”   “If I can?” Jesus replied.  “Don’t you know that anything is possible for someone who believes?”

“I do believe,” the father said.  “Help me overcome my unbelief.”

In effect, the father confessed that his faith wasn’t sufficient, and asked Jesus to help him increase it. His admission of weakness and his cry for help were enough for the Lord to respond.  When Jesus healed his son, his faith was increased. So it is with us.  When we admit to our weakness and yield our life totally to Him, the Lord will see to our every need.  Watching Him do this will increase our faith.