Mark 11
Power Through Prayer
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. “
Have you ever prayed for something only to feel like God did not hear you? You are not alone. There have been many times in my life that I have prayed for someone or something but then got no response from God. There have been other times when I have prayed and literally minutes later the prayer was answered. When it comes to prayer it is important that we 1.) have faith in God 2.) ask for the right thing with the right motives.
In this passage Jesus makes a point to the disciples about the power and importance of prayer. When the disciples asked Jesus about the fig branch, Jesus first words were “Have faith in God”. When you ask something of God in prayer, have faith that He will do it. When Jesus talked about moving mountains He was using a common symbol that was used during that time to refer to something that was impossible. If you want to have an effective prayer life, have faith that believes God can do the impossible. But faith is not the ONLY instruction about prayer.
James 4:3 says “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” Here James gives us a clear answer as to why we do not get what we ask for; we ask for selfish things. What are you praying for right now? That your family would win the lottery? That you would get a lot of presents for you birthday. That you would be popular at school? Prayer that is answered is in line with God’s will. If you are asking for things that are not in God’s will, they will not be answered. Check your motives when you pray. But most importantly, pray.
One of the most neglected areas in a Christians life is prayer. Yes we pray before meals and before bed but is that the only time that Jesus wants us to talk to Him? Jesus wants us to talk to Him all the time. He wants us to tell Him our feelings thoughts and desires. An easy to memorize verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:17 which says “pray without ceasing.” Don’t stop talking to God. Ask for faith. Ask that He would guide you to pray for the right thing. Just talk to Him.
