Today's Bible Reading: JOHN 12:37-50; MARK 11:12-33; MATTHEW 21:12-27; LUKE 19:45-20:8
Mark 11:22,24
And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. . . Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
He is a great insight into prayer. It is God’s pattern for productive prayer. It gives us assurance that if we specifically ask and sincerely believe we will receive what we ask for. It is the catalyst for effective prayer.
Often when we prayer we generalize. We don’t narrow down our needs. We forego specifically stating our request. Jesus here calls us to be particular in our petition. He tells us to specify our supplication. He challenges us to clarify our concern. He says that we should designate our desire.
But along with this we are to sternly believe we will receive our request. We are to have faith in Him. We are to believe Him. Not just believing He could, but that He will respond. We are to affirm that He has heard us and we will have it from Him. It is our assurance of His answer. We beech Him, and we believe we will have it. Our faith is in Him, in His power and in His promise begets fruitful prayer.
Yet doubt derails prayer. Jesus states that our disbelief dismantles prayer. Mountains are moved for the one “who does not doubt in his heart”. So a prerequisite to productive prayer is unwavering faith in God. It is faith that He is able and willing to accomplish what you ask of Him. It is faith in His word that He can and will act upon what He has promised. This kind of faith enables us to believe that we have received our request. Taking the Lord at his word brings confidence in our prayers.
It is not a haphazard hope He will answer, but a belief based on the Bible. If we believe He will do what He says, then we have a sure hope based on His word that He will do it. We will have surety from scripture. Jesus says, ask, believe, and receive. He states, “It will be yours” Applied faith finds Him true and our prayers productive. Have faith in God. Have faith in His Word.
Today praise God that He answers prayer. Ask Him to help you trust Him in your mistrust. Ask Him to arouse in you the kind of faith that believes in His word and pray like it. Lay hold of His promise in prayer that “whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”.
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