This Kind Requires More: Moving from Authority to Depth

This Kind Requires More: Moving from Authority to Depth

There's a story in the Gospel of Mark that reveals something uncomfortable about spiritual authority. The disciples—men who had successfully cast out demons, healed the sick, and ministered in Jesus' name—suddenly found themselves powerless. A father brought his tormented son to them for deliverance, and despite their previous victories, they couldn't help him.

When Jesus arrived and freed the boy, the disciples asked the question that should haunt every believer: "Why couldn't we do it?" Jesus' answer was simple but profound: "This kind comes out only by prayer and fasting."

The Danger of Shallow Authority
Here's the uncomfortable truth: God will use you even when you're not fully developed. The disciples had genuine authority from Jesus. They had seen real results. People were getting healed, demons were fleeing, and their reputation was growing. But authority without depth is a setup for public failure.

Think about it. How many times have we celebrated our spiritual victories in areas where we've never struggled? We pray confidently for someone else's issue because it's never been our weakness. We're bold when the battle doesn't touch our personal wounds.

But then something comes along that presses on our unhealed places—our abandonment issues, our rejection, our hidden struggles—and suddenly we're not so confident anymore. The thing we thought we had mastered reveals what we've been avoiding in ourselves.
The disciples had authority, but they lacked depth. And when they encountered "this kind" of resistance, their shallow foundation couldn't support the weight of the battle.

What "This Kind" Really Means
"This kind" isn't just about a particularly stubborn demon. It's about the battles that require more than borrowed authority or surface-level faith. It's about the situations that test whether you've truly been transformed or just temporarily inspired.

"This kind" shows up when:

• You're asked to forgive someone who hurt you the way you were hurt
• You need to minister to someone struggling with the same addiction you've hidden
• You face opposition that triggers your deepest insecurities
• Your reputation is on the line, and you can't just perform your way through

These are the moments that reveal whether you've been building a relationship with God or just riding the coattails of His grace.

Prayer: More Than Religious Routine
When Scripture talks about prayer in this context, it's not referring to your morning devotional checklist or the prayers you've memorized. It's talking about constant communion with the Father—a lifestyle of connection that doesn't turn on and off.
Real prayer begins with humility: "God, I don't even know what to pray. I don't want to pray my own will because my will might not be what's best. Holy Spirit, guide my words."
The disciples had a unique problem—they had Jesus physically with them, which actually stunted their prayer life. Why develop deep faith when you can just ask Jesus directly? But when He sent them out on their own, the lack of personal relationship showed.

Many believers today have the same issue. We're in close proximity to people with strong relationships with God, and we mistake their faith for our own. We auto-dial certain people whenever we're discouraged, instead of learning to call on God ourselves.
You haven't really grown until you can be the same person of faith when your spiritual mentor isn't around.

Fasting: Denying What You Think You Need
Fasting isn't about skipping meals to manipulate God into answering your prayers. It's about systematically denying yourself the things you think you need so you can discover what you truly need—God Himself.

For some, it's food. For others, it's coffee, social media validation, that daily phone call to a specific person, or even substances we've convinced ourselves are harmless. Fasting exposes the things that have more control over us than we want to admit.
The purpose isn't punishment—it's preparation. When you can deny yourself the thing that normally soothes, numbs, or distracts you, you're training yourself to stand in spiritual battles without your usual crutches.

Consider the father in Mark's story. He brought his son to the disciples first, but when they failed, he didn't give up. He waited for Jesus. And when Jesus challenged his faith—"What do you mean 'if' I can?"—the father responded with brutal honesty: "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!"

That's the posture fasting cultivates. It forces you to confront your unbelief and cry out to God to strengthen what little faith you have.

From Civilian to Warrior
There's a fundamental difference between living as a spiritual civilian and living as a warrior. Civilians get upset about minor inconveniences. They need everything to be comfortable. They measure spiritual success by how peaceful their life feels.
Warriors expect resistance. They dress for battle. They don't fall apart when the enemy shows up—they were expecting him.

Civilians say, "I'm trying my best." Warriors say, "This thing's days are numbered."
Civilians fast until it gets uncomfortable. The warriors fast because they refuse to let anything control them more than God does.

The question facing every believer is simple: Which one are you?

The Upgrade Requires Preparation
In video games, you start with basic weapons and earn upgrades through victories. God operates similarly. He gives you authority appropriate to your level of maturity. As you prove faithful in smaller battles, He increases your capacity for greater ones.

But here's the key: you can't skip the preparation phase. The disciples wanted the results without the relationship. They wanted the authority without the discipline. They wanted to be great without denying themselves.

"This kind" of breakthrough requires "this kind" of preparation—prayer that never stops and fasting that breaks soul ties to everything competing with God for first place in your life.

The Challenge
The demons should know your name. Not because you're loud or perform well in church services, but because when you speak in the authority of Jesus, things change. Bondages break. Captives are freed. Darkness flees.

But that level of authority only comes through depth—depth that's cultivated in the secret place of prayer and the discipline of fasting.

So the question remains: Do you believe? And if you do, are you willing to ask God to help you with your unbelief?

Because "this kind" is waiting. And it requires more than what you currently have.