Dear Church,

Yesterday, we looked at one of the most surprising moments in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth. These were the people who had watched Him grow up. They knew His family. They knew His trade. They had heard about His miracles.

Yet instead of welcoming Him, they dismissed Him.  Mark writes: “He could not do any mighty work there… except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.” (Mark 6:5–6)  Obviously, this statement does not mean Jesus lacked power; it means that Jesus power to heal was limited by the ‘settled unbelief’ of his own people. God’s power was present. But their hearts were closed.  What a tragedy.  John writes about this. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:11) A heart that refuses to trust God, love God, and expect God to move in their midst closes itself off from what God wants to do. This is the existential threat that churches are facing today, the threat within. Yet, even in a climate of unbelief, Jesus still worked in the lives of those who were open. Mark tells us:

“He laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.” (Mark 6:5) So the question remains, how do we break free from settled unbelief?

1.  Humbly acknowledge our need for faith. Faith is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-9; Hebrews 12:2). Faith often begins not with certainty, but with honesty. When we admit our struggle, we invite God to strengthen our faith.


2.   Return to the Word of God. Faith comes when we expose our hearts to God’s truth; it does not grow by willpower. “So, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17).


3.   The third one is what I find really helpful to me. Praying in the Spirit. This breaks the grip of settled unbelief more than anything else. Jude writes: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit.” (Jude 1:20) Notice the connection: praying in the Spirit builds faith. Faith grows where prayer lives. When we pray in the Spirit, we invite the Holy Spirit to soften our hearts, align our desires with God, and renew our confidence in Him. The apostle Paul also reminds us: “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” (Ephesians 6:18). 

And may we keep asking Him daily: “Lord, deepen my faith.”

Be encouraged,
Mathews