The Demoniac, Part 2—False Prayers | Mark 5:6–8
And when he saw Jesus
from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What
have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God,
do not torment me.” 8 For
he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
One of the most terrifying passages in all of Scripture is from
the Sermon on the Mount. There, Jesus doesn’t
just say that He will cast out unbelievers,
but also many calling Him “Lord, Lord” (Mt 7:21–23)! Here, we see pictured false prayers to Jesus from
the demons in this man, and we must learn from their negative example.
The demons “worship”
as they speak to Jesus. The term “fell
down” is a term that means “bowed down” (NASB) and can mean that they “worshipped”
(KJV, NKJV). Even so, the mere act of
prostrating oneself before Jesus doesn’t constitute true worship—the Roman soldiers would also bow down, but in mockery
(15:19). Assuming a physical position of
kneeling or bowing before Jesus does not fool Him into thinking worship is occurring.
The demons “pray” their
request to Jesus. They ask not to be
tormented at that moment, and they refer to Jesus and God the Father using
honorific titles. Their request,
however, comes wrapped in contempt, not contrition. They begin in v. 7 by singularly and
essentially saying, “Leave me alone!” It’s
a prayer uttered through a sneer. Similarly,
simply calling Jesus “Lord” while seeking to continue in sin is no guarantee of
answered prayer.
These shallow prayers from creatures lacking depth mustn’t be
our model, for God is not obligated to hear any such prayers (Jn 9:31; Js 4:3). Instead, if we repent and “confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us” (1 Jn 1:9). We’re told as believers to pray, but “with
thanksgiving” (Phil 4:6). False prayers
are mere necessities to escape from under the thumb of Christ to maintain the status quo; true prayers mark a desire
to be changed and to be near one’s beloved Savior.
