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Pray

God’s goal for me is to pray and have faith in him. I should talk with God about everything. I should be in complete agreement with God. That is all that matters in any given moment.

My job is to embrace a life that is steeped in God. Everything is about God and what God wants right now.

When I am completely absorbed with Jesus, nothing is impossible. When I know what God wants, God can make it happen. God can produce figs on a tree out of season. God can move a mountain into a lake.

God is God. God can do anything. Nothing is impossible with God. When I am absorbed and in sync with that, I can know what to say and be confident my Master Jesus will make it happen.

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. [1]

As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 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. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” [2]

Source: Mark 11:12-14, 20-23

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Jesus also used this miracle to teach us a lesson on faith. The next morning, when the disciples noticed the dead tree, Jesus said, “Have faith in God,” meaning, “Constantly be trusting God; live in an attitude of dependence on Him.” In Jewish imagery, a mountain signifies something strong and immovable, a problem that stands in the way. We can move these mountains only by trusting God.

Of course, this is not the only lesson Jesus ever gave on prayer; and we must be careful not to isolate it from the rest of Scripture.

  • Prayer must be in the will of God (1 John 5:14–15), and the one praying must be abiding in the love of God (John 15:7–14).
  • Prayer is not an emergency measure that we turn to when we have a problem.
  • Real prayer is a part of our constant communion with God and worship of God.

Nor should we interpret Mark 11:24 to mean, “If you pray hard enough and really believe, God is obligated to answer your prayers, no matter what you ask.” That kind of faith is not faith in God; rather, it is nothing but faith in faith, or faith in feelings. True faith in God is based on His Word, and His Word reveals His will to us. It has well been said that the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but to get God’s will done on earth.

True prayer involves forgiveness as well as faith. I must be in fellowship with both my Father in heaven and my brethren on earth if God is to answer my prayers. The first word in “The Lord’s Prayer” is our—“Our Father which art in heaven” and not “My Father which art in heaven.” Though Christians may pray in private, no Christian ever prays alone; for all of God’s people are part of a worldwide family that unites to seek God’s blessing. Prayer draws us together.[3]

Is Jesus serious? Yes, he is. It all starts with “faith in God”. It was a command not a request. Jesus did not promise that “some things” we ask in prayer. The promise is “whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

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[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mk 11:12–14.

[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mk 11:20–25.

[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 150.