Focus
Pay attention to the tension in your body. Let go of it and any expectations to do anything other than God’s will today. Prepare yourself to hear God’s word.
Read
Mark 11:20-25 (NRSV)
In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”
Reflect
The idea of a mountain being thrown into the sea seems impossible and rather ludicrous to most people. For one thing, it goes against the known laws of nature; a mountain cannot move itself! Yet Jesus told the disciples that if they truly believed such things could happen and asked for them through prayer, they would receive them.
If we believe what Jesus said, why are so many prayers seemingly going unanswered? When we pray for healing or financial security or an end to whatever is causing us pain or distress, why does whatever is plaguing us still continue? Does God not hear us? Or, worse, does God not care?
God always answers our prayers, maybe not in the way that we hope or within the time frame that we would like, but they are answered. Perhaps the answers are delayed because we need to learn to trust God more completely, to put our faith and trust in God rather than in our own abilities. God may choose to answer the prayer in a way different than that for which we had asked. We need to believe in miracles. We need to have faith that God will answer our prayers—not hope, but faith.
Pray
God of all creation, you alone know what I need and you will provide it for me if I believe in your promises. Let me be a strong and faith-filled person. Amen.
Go with God.
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.