Unbelief hinders and stops the Word of God from working. The Word of God needs faith for it to produce its results. Jesus (the Word of God) could do no "mighty works" in his own home town because their unbelief (no faith).
Mar 6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
Mar 6:5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
Mar 6:6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
Curtis here is an example of what you are talking about.
A Pastor spends a lot of time in the prissions and especially those housing the meaner inmates and max security and so forth. He leaves a lot of teaching material there. In one prission the warden got saved as well and has sence forth moved up the ladder.
Now then here are these in-mates who even have killed while in prission getting hooked up on the word of God and getting saved. They have no other doctines getting pushed at them and no religous un-belief being pushed on them as we have out in the world.
Now the meanest of the bunch got saved - spent time reading and then a group of them got the pastor on his next trip and said.........we want to go to the infirmary and lay hands on the sick. The pastor said it quickened him and he knew that most pastors would have at that point said - well boys I would like to but I am needed down town and split. So the pastor said - YEA Lets go........
Now these boys have no doubt or unbelief running in their veins......They would pray over some and lay hands on them and then called it done and moved on. All They knew is what Gods word says and they Believed with out doubt or fear.
So what happened ? Healing and deliverance took place brother. A guy who had cancer so bad and had fans around him to blow the stink of rotting flesh away is now taking the gospel to others in the world. Yep he not only got healed but God also got him out of prission.
Ok to make this short..............
Folks today have a religious mind set even if they wont admit to it.
They doubt and have fear........Example..........what if it does not happen ? I am gonna look like a fool........I might get sued............When you place anything over what God said in His word , then you have given more authority to these things then Gods Word.
People tend to say - well if God wanted me to pray or lay hands on them then He would have shook the earth and given me a sign..........He did - He told us in His word.......He gave us the authority and power already........It is not That God does not do these things any more - it is man fouling things up with his mind - doubt-fear- doctrines and simply too busy in this life and Not getting in His word and staying in His word and getting all these things that hinder him out of his life.
That old excuse - well why is the man in church and not the hospitials then...........Ummm go ask the man that question or is this just an excuse to not do anything ?
Blessings
Jim