“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24
Jesus was talking to His disciples. Well actually they were walking by a fig tree that Jesus had cursed the day before and it was withered. Peter pointed it out to Jesus, “hey that fig tree that you cursed, it’s dead now.” Jesus was teaching His disciples about faith. When Jesus cursed the fig tree, He knew that it would not survive. He had no doubt whatsoever. What He is trying to convey to His disciples is that very fact that when you pray to God for something, you should not doubt that He will answer your prayers. Let’s back up a couple of verses.
“And Jesus answered them, ‘Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.’” Mark 11:22-24
Now before we go about thinking that this is our way of getting whatever we want, we need to look at some elements of these verses. First of all we are asking in faith in God. That means that what we are asking should align with God’s will. He is not going to give us what is not for our ultimate good. That’s where the faith comes in. At least we hope not. I have learned that whatever I am praying for I always try to ask in accordance with His will. And I ask that if what I am asking is not in His will that He will change my heart. And sometimes I don’t necessarily get what I thought I wanted but I end up with what I needed. It has to be for His glory.
The next element of this verse when He says “whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and thrown into the sea what He is talking about here is figurative. When He used the word “mountain” it was figurative for an insurmountable problem. According to the commentary I read it said that removing mountains was quite commonly used as a phrase for removing difficulties back in those days. Jesus is promising that with our faith our difficulties and obstacles can be removed.
What we have to do is invite Him in. Invite Him in to remove the mountains in front of us. Invite Him in and then believe that He will work it out, and He will surely do it. I know that at times our obstacles seem too big and we aren’t sure that we can see the end. But my friends I have seen over and over that when I invite Him into the circumstances that are concerning me, the mountains that I feel are in front of me, and when I leave it to Him and quit trying to fix it myself, that eventually He really does work it out and it is always for my ultimate good!
Our promise here is asking what we want in prayer and believe and trust Him, have faith that He will give us the best version of what it is we want. Jesus wants to walk with us and He wants us to have faith that He will work out our mountains, our obstacles, even a fig tree that may get in our way.
Restore 