Do you annoy God

Good Thursday morning to you. I want to you to know how much I appreciate my faithful readers, and the feedback I get from them. But, I especially want to say thanks for all the prayers you give for me.
This morning we are going to be in the New Testament, and this is actually going to be a two part devotion, there is just to much to cover in one day. Let's start this morning in Luke ch. 9 vs. 37-43. A little background on this setting, Jesus has sent the twelve out to preach, and they have returned. The disciples have just witnessed the 5000 fed, Peter has made the great confession that Christ is the Son of God. And then the three disciples saw the transfiguration. Then immediately as they came down off the mountain there was a man who had brought his son to them, because the child was possessed by a demon. Unfortunately they could not cast out this demon, then Jesus arrived. In verse 41 we see His response to their weakness, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you?" Translated "You have no faith, you are perverted, how long do I have to put up with you?"
Jesus was annoyed with them. After all the things they had seen and experienced, after they themselves had cast out demons, they were unable to cast out this one. They did not have enough faith to cast out this demon. Like most of us, anytime there is a great victory of faith, it will immediately followed by a great defeat. Why? Why is there always a defeat that follows a victory? It is because we get complaisant.
Look at Mk. 9:29, here we see Marks account of the story, and he tells more of what happened after the father and son had left. At this time the disciples asked why they could not cast out the demon. (vs29) And He said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting". The disciples had experienced all this great stuff, and had failed to remember to spend time in prayer, so they had gotten weak in faith.
I know in my life there have been times in my life when I went through a battle, and had learned how to pray without ceasing, taking everything to God with prayer and supplication (to ask for humbly). To ask for humbly, key word humbly. How many times have we had a great victory and then gotten proud of our self. Then the next thing to happen we thought to ourselves, I can handle this all by myself, no need to bother God with this? So we did not pray about it, we did not seek His will, and His direction, and His help, and as a result we failed miserably.
How many times has God asked "How long do I have to put up with you"? How many more times are we going to make the same mistake? If we want God's power, and we want His victories in our lives, we have to remember to stay in His word, we have to pray about everything. Don't forget, when you pick up your Bible, always pray for Him to open your heart, and mind, and ask Him to show you what He wants you to see. Otherwise, you are reading and studying under your own power, and are not receiving the blessings He has in store for you.