Good morning…
Many of you have written to ask how my Sunday school class on prayer turned out, when I had to teach on a confusing passage of scripture (see my post from 1.18.16, “Teaching a verse I do not understand.”) I was assigned to teach on Mark 11:24 (NIV), and I had no idea what to do with this biblical promise: Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
I have avoided this verse like the plague because I know there have been countless heartfelt prayers lifted on the behalf of loved ones over the years, prayers which seem to have fallen on divine deaf ears. Even though we pray wholeheartedly to the God who possesses the power to heal, sick people get sicker, mentally and physically. Healing does not always happen when we fall on our knees and beg God in prayer. When we want a life affirming thing with all our hearts and we do not get it, this verse feels like a lie. We read this scripture with our human nature: “…whatever you ask for in prayer…it will be yours.” That just is not true. Throughout our lives, we have seen again and again, prayer does not work like this: “You want, you get.” Yet, in the middle of the night, the Holy Spirit shifted my focus as I prepared the lesson I felt ill-equipped to teach. Going deeper than my human nature, God drew me to this reading of the scripture: “…in prayer…believe…receive…”
As I spent more time praying, God opened up meaning from the Amplified Bible translation: For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you. “God’s will” and “confident trust” jumped out from this version of scripture. Then the LORD coaxed me toward a more panoramic view, encouraging me to lead the class to consider the entire chapter of Mark 11. Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Hosanna. Palm branches. A great parade to honor Jesus. Then one group studied the leafy fig tree cursed to wither from its roots. The second group studied the money changers turning the temple into a “den of thieves” rather than a “house of prayer for all the nations.” The third group studied the supernatural ability of prayer to move mountains, if we believe fully in God’s power and cleanse our hearts of unforgiveness. And the fourth group studied the authority of Jesus; was the power of Jesus ordained by God or was Jesus’ power man made? All of these intense concepts live in Mark 11.
After the small groups enjoyed a Holy Spirit led discussion on their section of scripture, we gathered together to share collective wisdom surrounding and supporting this single challenging verse, Mark 11:24. Together, we learned that no matter how green leafy, religious we look, God knows the fruits of our heart. Together, we learned that our human desires must gradually come in line with the will of God if they are to be actualized. Together we learned, we must humbly pray in complete trust that God can accomplish any feat God desires, in God’s best way, in God’s best time. Together we learned, we must to cut from the noisy din of worldly distractions and self centered motives to be singly focus in prayer on the astonishing power of our resurrected LORD. Believing that God’s ways are truly higher than our own ways, gradually we submit our wholehearted prayer, “Father, Your will be done.”
And “it” will be ours,
Sue
