How Long Has This Been Happening?
A Biblical Lesson on Parenting, Prayer, and Breaking Generational Strongholds
Jun 23, 2026
9 min read
Hidden Problems Often Grow in Silence
A fallen tree can reveal a hidden problem. Often, the cause isn’t a storm or strong winds but something much smaller working beneath the surface. Termites don’t announce their plans. They work silently, hidden from sight, slowly weakening a tree from the inside out. By the time the damage becomes visible, it has often been happening for years.
The enemy often works in the same way within families. Rarely does destruction arrive with a warning. More often, it begins with small compromises, unresolved wounds, and struggles left unaddressed. Over time, what was hidden becomes visible. What is tolerated today often becomes what children battle tomorrow.
This reality raises an important question:
How long has this been happening?
How long have parents silently worried about their children, hoping things would somehow improve? How long have fathers and mothers watched their children struggle while wondering if there was anything they could do?
This question sits at the heart of a powerful story in Mark 9.
A Father Who Brought His Son to Jesus
Jesus had just come down from the Mount of Transfiguration and returned to find a crowd gathered around His disciples. There was confusion, disappointment, and arguing.
A desperate father stepped forward and explained that he had brought his son to the disciples for help, but they had been unable to provide it. The boy was tormented by an evil spirit that robbed him of his voice and repeatedly sought to destroy him.
The first thing that stands out about this father is that he brought his son to Jesus.
If children are to experience healing, freedom, and wholeness, there is ultimately no greater solution than Christ. The world offers temporary answers, but only Jesus has the power to transform a life from the inside out.
This father had already experienced disappointment. The disciples had failed. The crowd was watching. Yet Jesus responded with a simple command:
“Bring the boy to Me.”
Never Stop Bringing Your Children to Jesus
What a powerful reminder for parents today.
Perhaps a child has been brought to church, invited to youth group, prayed for, or encouraged through spiritual conversations, yet little seems to have changed.
The answer is not to stop bringing them to Jesus.
- Continue praying.
- Continue sharing God’s Word.
- Continue creating opportunities for Christian fellowship.
- Continue believing God’s promises.
Whenever people are brought near Jesus, Jesus has a way of showing up.
How Long Has This Been Happening in Your Family?
As the boy was brought forward, Jesus asked a question that reaches across generations:
“How long has this been happening?”
The father answered:
“Since he was a little boy.”
For many families, that question strikes a deeply personal chord.
- How long has anxiety affected your child?
- How long has anger influenced your home?
- How long have addiction, fear, bitterness, or brokenness been passed from one generation to the next?
- How long has the enemy been quietly attacking the foundation of your family?
Many fathers did not grow up with godly examples. Some carry wounds from absent fathers, harsh fathers, or fathers who never pointed them toward Christ.
As a result, they often find themselves confronting battles they never chose and patterns they never intended to pass on.
Faith in the Middle of Exhaustion
The father continued explaining that the spirit often threw his son into fire or water, trying to kill him.
Then he spoke these heartbreaking words:
“Have mercy on us and help us, if You can.”
This was not a father who lacked concern. This was a father who had tried everything. A father who had rescued his son countless times. A father who was running out of hope.
Jesus immediately challenged his perspective:
“Anything is possible if a person believes.”
The issue was never Christ’s ability. The issue was whether the father believed Christ was able.
The same question confronts believers today. What do we truly believe about Jesus when circumstances seem hopeless?
The Honest Prayer Every Parent Can Pray
The father’s response remains one of the most honest prayers in Scripture:
“I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
This prayer reminds us that faith is not the absence of doubt.
Faith is bringing doubts to Jesus.
The father did not pretend to possess perfect faith. He acknowledged both his faith and his struggle. Instead of focusing solely on his son’s problem, he asked Jesus to strengthen his own heart.
God works through imperfect faith.
Jesus responded to the father’s cry before his faith became perfect.
“"Come out of this child and never enter him again."
Encouragement for Fathers
For fathers especially, this passage offers tremendous encouragement.
Men do not have to be perfect to lead their families to Jesus. They simply need to be humble enough to bring their needs, their doubts, and their children before Him.
The miracle began when a desperate father brought both his son and his imperfect faith to Christ.
Jesus Breaks Generational Strongholds
Jesus then rebuked the spirit and set the boy free.
One phrase stands out:
“Come out of this child and never enter him again.”
When Jesus brings freedom, He does not offer temporary relief.
He offers lasting transformation.
He has the power to break cycles that have plagued families for generations. Through Christ, generational strongholds can be broken, wounds can be healed, and new spiritual legacies can begin.
Why Prayer Changes Everything
The story concludes with the disciples asking why they had failed where Jesus succeeded.
His answer was simple:
“This kind can be cast out only by prayer.”
The disciples had assumed they could handle the situation in their own strength. They forgot that spiritual power comes from complete dependence upon God.
The same remains true today.
If families are to see children walking in freedom, parents must become people of prayer.
- When fathers pray, it paves the way.
- When parents pray, chains begin to break.
- When families pray, strongholds begin to fall.
Final Challenge: What Needs to Change Today?
The challenge from this passage is both simple and profound:
- What doubts need to be brought before God this week?
- How long has torment been present in your family?
- How long has the enemy been influencing your home?
- What would change if you truly believed your prayers could shape your children’s future?
No matter how long the struggle has existed, Jesus still invites families to bring their burdens to Him.
The same Savior who delivered a desperate father’s son in Mark 9 still has the power to transform lives, restore hope, and break chains today.
FAQs
What is the main lesson of Mark 9 for parents?
Mark 9 teaches parents to continually bring their children to Jesus through prayer, faith, and spiritual guidance, trusting Him even when circumstances seem hopeless.
What does “I believe; help my unbelief” mean?
The statement reflects honest faith. It acknowledges belief in God while admitting struggles with doubt and uncertainty. Jesus honors sincere faith, even when it is imperfect.
Can Jesus break generational strongholds?
Yes. Through faith in Christ, prayer, repentance, and obedience to God’s Word, families can experience freedom from destructive patterns passed from one generation to another.
Why is prayer important in spiritual battles?
Jesus taught that some spiritual victories come only through prayer because prayer expresses dependence on God and invites His power into difficult situations.
How can fathers lead their families spiritually?
Fathers can lead by praying consistently, studying Scripture, modeling faith, serving their families, and continually pointing their children toward Jesus Christ.