Bold Prayers
Devotional Reading: Mark 11:24 ESV
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Today’s verse is one of those verses that often raises questions in our minds. Is it really true that if I just have enough faith, God will give me whatever I ask for? How many times have you prayed for something, believing God would answer it, but then it didn’t happen? Maybe you’ve wondered if there’s a problem with your faith.
Without any other context, the promise here in Mark 11:24 sounds like a “name it and claim it” kind of theology, where you simply claim that God will give you something—health, wealth, or prosperity—and it’s yours. But that’s clearly not what Jesus was saying here, because it contradicts other clear teachings in Scripture. So what is Jesus saying?
One of the best ways to understand this saying is to combine it with another saying of Jesus in John 15:7: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” The foundation for praying with faith is praying with trust in the words of Jesus.
When we trust in the words of Jesus, we can be confident that we’re asking for things that align with God’s will. Based on this truth, the secret to success in prayer is twofold. First, make your wants God’s wants. Second, ask for whatever you want. Trust God to keep his Word.
The beauty of this is that Jesus is inviting us into a relationship with him in which we pray confidently according to his Word. Now, to be clear, there are times where we don’t know exactly what God’s will is in a particular situation. Some times, We don’t know the answers to some of the questions we may be faced with because we don’t know how God is working for our good. But, if you belong to Christ, you can be confident that he is working for your good, and you can pray accordingly.
Regardless of circumstances, there are many things we know to ask for: peace, contentment, strength, and joy. Our sufficiency and our ultimate satisfaction is found in God alone. Therefore, ask for these things, and trust God to give them to you.
Prayer and Confession
God, teach us to pray like this with confidence in you and your Word rather than confidence in our wisdom to know what’s best in a certain situation. So, God, amidst all kinds of specific things going on in our lives, we pray right now for wisdom according to your Word, for joy according to your Word, for peace according to your Word, for patience according to your Word, and for your provision for our needs and the needs of others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Further Reading: Matthew 19:26, Matthew 7:7
