Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (NKJV)
“Unbelieving Believers”… genuine Christians who don’t live like they actually believe what they know to be true in their head.
Help me in my unbelief
- Help me in my unbelief with regards to your promises guide to provide, protect, guide and overcome temptation.
Help me in my unforgiveness Ephesians 4:32
- Help me in my unforgiveness when I feel slighted and criticized by others.
- Help me in my unforgiveness even when I have every reason to withhold forgiveness, humanly speaking.
Help me in my uncompassion 1 Peter 3:8
- Help me in my uncompassion when it hasn’t made any difference in the past.
- Help me in my uncompassion when I’m too busy thinking of my own problems.
Help me in my unpatience James 1:4
- Help me in my unpatience when I don’t think the other person is trying hard enough.
- Help me in my unpatience when I’m tired or don’t feel well.
Help me in my undiscipline Galatians 5:22-23
- Help me in my undiscipline when my flesh would have me be lazy and wasteful.
Help me in my unhotness Revelation 3:16
- Help me in my unhotness when being cold would allow me to slip by unnoticed.
- Help me in my unhotness when being cold would allow me to avoid something uncomfortable.
Help me in my unholiness 1 Thessalonians 4:7
- Help me in my unholiness when I’ve been so focused on me, my life looks like “me” instead of Christ.
- Help me in my unholiness when those around me cannot tell much difference between me and the world.
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Mark 9:24 Consider the disconnect between our HEAD and our HEART. What we KNOW about God is not always what is the conviction of our heart (BELIEF). Often our head believes but our heart does not…
Our heart and emotions often don’t believe what our head says about God.
- If there is a disconnect between what our HEAD KNOWS and what our HEART FEELS, we need to get our heart in line.
Feelings follow choice. Choice is like the engine that powers the train.
When I Think About Being With God, I Feel…
The “head” will answer that we feel love, care and acceptance, but have you ever FELT that in reality if you were with God you would feel afraid, guilty, nervous or like a stranger. Romans 8:1
My head knows there is no condemnation for Believers in God’s presence.
The One Thing I Would Change About Myself So That I Can Be Sure God Really Loves Me Is….
- Believers struggle with believing that if only they would pray more, serve more, give more, sin less, read the Bible more, memorize more Scripture… then we could be sure (emotions) that God is pleased with us, and really loves us.
I’m sure that someday God will… bless me, find me the perfect spouse, help me get out of debt, make me a better Christian. James 1:17.
When I think about what God tells me to do, I feel… Overwhelmed? Unable to comply? 2 Corinthians 12:9 Philippians 4:13 1 Corinthians 10:13
If we REALLY believe the whole truth about God, we would never worry, never be depressed, never feel hopeless, never by anxious and never doubt.
• Head: When I think about being with God I feel joy and love.
• Heart: When I think about being with God it scares me, or maybe He won’t even show up.
• Head: When I think about God, I wish I could be there with Him.
• Heart: When I think about God, I wonder if He really cares, or if He is really there.
• Head: I really enjoy God when I am in His presence.
• Heart: I really enjoy God when I’m sure He really forgave me for something.
• Head: Sometimes I wish God would take away all evil.
• Heart: Sometimes I wish God would just end my life and take me home now.
• Head: I can really depend on God to take care of me.
• Heart: I can really depend on God to be silent when I need Him most.
• Head: I’m quite sure that God loves me.
• Heart: I’m quite sure that God is waiting to punish me.
• Head: I’m not afraid of God, He loves me.
• Heart: I’m afraid God is going to take away the thing I love most to punish me for sin.
Think about the “heart” responses. Many Christians want a “future faith” because their HEAD knowledge knows that IN THE FUTURE God will make everything perfect but because of their deepest current emotional concept of God, they aren’t that joyful about “present faith”.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (NKJV)
Our truest concept of God is only as good as the WORSE we think about Him. So it’s very useful in my opinion to seriously consider these things.