"In the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Him, "Teacher, look, the fig tree you cursed has withered." Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. I tell you the truth: if anyone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (Mark 11:20-26*).
Facing obstacles is a given in life. The Lord Jesus says that we will have difficulties. This is simply unavoidable. However, we have hope because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).
Christ tells us that when problems seem insurmountable, we must have faith in God and pray. Many people love Mark 11:24 because it seems like a universal promise for anything we want. However, the verse has a context that should not be disregarded. Let us consider two premises regarding the promise:
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- The Lord is only willing to remove those obstacles that hinder His will. Christ is a prime example of this truth. When He faced the prospect of crucifixion and bearing the sins of the entire world, it must have seemed like an immense obstacle, but His prayer was: "Not My will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42*).
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- We must ensure we are not the obstacle. As an example of this, in Mark 11:25-26, Christ points out that an unforgiving spirit disrupts our relationship with God and hinders our prayers.
Our first reaction to the obstacles before us should be self-examination. Ask God: "Is there anything I need to change? Do my requests align with Your will?" Only then can we confidently ask Him to act in our lives as only He can.
Link to the original article: https://www.intouchuk.org/read/daily-devotions/moving-mountains
*Bible quotes are from the Bible, New Translation from the Original Languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013