Have you ever found yourself thinking, “If my faith is weak, will God still answer my prayer?”
Recently I read devotional that was focused on Luke 6:19:
“And the whole multitude sought to touch Him,
for power went out from Him and healed them all.”
And I noticed something I never had before.
One simple phrase that completely changed the context of that verse for me: “…sought to touch Him.”
Why would they have been so focused on touching Him if it was practically guaranteed that He would “[heal] them all”?
Wouldn’t they have been healed just by standing in His presence?
You would certainly think so.
But we know that every word in the Bible was placed there by God.
And it wouldn’t have been included if it wasn’t important.
So what’s so significant about those words: “…they sought to touch Him”?
And what does that have to do with unanswered prayers—and feeling like your faith isn’t strong enough?
That’s what we’re going to explore in this article.
How Reaching Came Before Healing
Luke 6:19 says:
“And the whole multitude sought to touch Him,
for power went out from Him and healed them all.”
For years, I read that verse and assumed it meant that Jesus healed everyone who was near Him.
That if you were in the crowd—if you showed up—you’d receive healing.
But that’s not what the verse actually says.
It doesn’t say the power of Jesus flowed indiscriminately.
It says His power healed everyone who touched Him.
And that’s different.
That one detail—“they sought to touch Him”—tells us something important.
There was a step before the healing.
They didn’t just stand by.
They didn’t wait to see if something might happen.
They reached.
And that reach?
It wasn’t proof of perfect faith.
It was simply movement.
Desire.
Hope.
Some of them may have believed He would heal them.
But some may have just been hoping He could.
While others may not have been sure at all.
But they reached anyway.
And Jesus responded.
My Faith is Weak — Can I Really Reach Out to Jesus?
It’s one thing to believe Jesus can respond.
It’s another thing entirely to believe He’ll respond to you.
Especially when your faith doesn’t feel strong.
When doubt creeps in.
When you’re praying with more uncertainty than confidence.
And that’s where the story in Mark 9:17-27 becomes so powerful.
A father brings his son—who’s been suffering deeply—to Jesus.
And Jesus tells him:
“All things are possible for one who believes.” — Mark 9:23
And the father answers with a sentence that so many of us can relate to:
“I believe; help my unbelief.” — Mark 9:24
That wasn’t a bold declaration of unshakable faith.
It was an honest confession of tension.
Of wanting to believe.
Trying to believe.
But not being all the way there.
And how did Jesus respond?
He didn’t say, “Come back when your faith is stronger.”
He didn’t say, “I can’t work with that.”
He healed the boy anyway.
Because that’s what Jesus does.
He meets us in the middle of our belief and our unbelief.
He honors the reach—even when it’s shaky.
Even when we’re not sure it’s enough.
The Lie That Keeps Us Stuck
One of the biggest lies we tend to believe—whether we’ve walked with Jesus for years or we’re just starting to seek Him—is this:
“I need to have stronger faith before I come to Him.”
We think we have to clean ourselves up before we approach God.
That we have to be confident, unwavering, ready.
But that’s not how Jesus works.
We don’t come to Him because we’re strong.
We come to Him because we need Him.
It’s like the analogy:
You don’t wait until you’re clean to take a shower.
You take a shower because you’re dirty.
In the same way, you don’t come to Jesus once your faith is flawless.
You come to Jesus with your weakness.
With your doubt.
With your uncertainty.
And you trust that He is the one who strengthens what feels fragile.
Because the truth is, He’s not waiting for polished belief.
He’s looking for honest hearts—
hearts willing to reach out, even when they’re not sure.
You’re Not Disqualified by Doubt
Somewhere along the way, many of us internalized the idea that doubt disqualifies us.
That if we don’t believe hard enough, fast enough, or confidently enough—
God won’t listen.
But Scripture tells a different story.
Hebrews 4:15–16 says:
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses…
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Confidence doesn’t come from having perfect faith.
It comes from knowing who Jesus is.
He is full of mercy.
Full of grace.
And He understands what it means to be human.
Romans 5:8 reminds us:
“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
He didn’t wait until we were worthy.
He didn’t wait until we had it all figured out.
And He’s not waiting now.
Even James 1:6—which is often quoted to scare people into “not doubting”—
isn’t about earning answers from God through performance.
It’s about trust.
It’s about relationship.
Jesus doesn’t withdraw from us when our faith wavers.
He draws near to strengthen what’s weak—because that’s what grace does.
What This Means for You
If your faith feels weak—
you’re not doing it wrong.
You’re not less spiritual.
You’re not behind.
And you’re definitely not disqualified.
Jesus never required flawless belief.
He never waited for people to have it all together before responding.
He moved toward honesty.
He responded to reaching.
He met people in their need—not after they outgrew it.
So if you’re praying through doubt…
If you’re reaching while still wondering…
If you’re showing up even though part of you isn’t sure how this will turn out…
You’re not disqualified.
You’re exactly where Jesus meets people.
Because faith doesn’t always look like bold confidence.
Sometimes, it just looks like not giving up.
Sometimes, it looks like whispering “Help my unbelief” and trusting that He hears you anyway.
Final Encouragement
If this resonates with you—
if you’ve ever held back from praying, hoping, or asking
because you thought your faith wasn’t strong enough—
I want you to know:
You’re not alone.
This article began with a reflection I wrote on Luke 6:19—
a verse I had read so many times,
but one morning, God opened my eyes in a new way.
It reminded me that Jesus responds to the reach—
not to the perfection of our faith,
but to the posture of our heart.
If you’d like to read that original reflection, you can find it here:
👉 Will Jesus Still Answer My Prayer If I’m Struggling to Believe?
Let that be your reminder today:
Jesus isn’t waiting for you to be more certain.
He’s inviting you to come to Him as you are.
Reach—even if your hand is trembling.
Pray—even if your voice shakes.
Ask—even if your heart isn’t sure what will happen next.
Because faith isn’t the absence of doubt.
It’s the decision to move toward Him anyway.
And He will meet you there.
With love and belief in you,
