Today’s reading is Mark 11 and Psalm 135.
Mark 11:24 reads, “Therefore I tell you whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” If this is true, then why don’t I have the Lamborghini I’ve been praying for?! In all seriousness, I think this is a verse that many Christians struggle with quite frankly and one that many non-believers use as evidence that God does not exist.” If there is a God, why doesn’t he answer my prayers? It says here He does, but He hasn’t answered mine.”
I can remember my Mom saying at a young age that God does answer all prayers, but just not directly in the way you ask and think is best. Why? We are sinful humans. We don’t know what is best. He does. If we did, then we would be God, and we are clearly not. Most of our prayers have some sort of a selfish nature wanting us to receive the glory and not Him. Isaiah 55:8-9,“ ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ “Reading this in Isaiah makes me thankful He doesn’t answer my prayers in the way I ask. He knows what is truly best. I don’t. I just think I do.
Mark 11:23 also says we can ask a mountain to move and it will. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t even seen a pencil move when I asked it to! Does this mean there is no God or these verses in Mark are not true? James 1:6-7 says, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.” I’m embarrassed to say that even though I know God made the Earth and Heavens and everything in them, not only do I doubt He will do certain things, but if I really get deep and reflect I even question if He can do certain things. Do we really believe God can and will heal our loved one from the illness he or she has? Do we really believe He can and will heal our marriage like we’ve been asking? Do we truly believe He can and will move that mountain if we asked Him to? Maybe if we truly believed He would and could, He would actually in fact do it. God knows the true condition of our heart and maybe Mark 11:23 is not just a metaphor, but He truly would move a mountain if we asked and truly believed He would.
As we move forward in this next week let us pray this together….
Lord, please create in me a pure, clean heart. Please help my prayers not be for selfish ambition and for my glory but for yours. Help me to know and believe you can and will answer my prayers. When I truly believe you can and will move that mountain I’m facing in my life, I know you will.