Matthew 21:21,22 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”
These two verses give us a tremendous promise. God is willing to do what we ask.
There are three main elements in these verses, and one expectation:
- Faith – and doubt not
- The Command
- Prayer
- Faith that you will receive it when you ask (the expectation).
The promise is clear. Ask God for things you believe He can and will do and He will do it.
The idea that Jesus was giving to His disciples was that God is unlimited in either His willingness to fulfill our prayers, and also in His power to fulfill them. It is doubtful that the full power of prayer has ever been revealed in recent times – maybe never. It is possible that the greatest answers to prayer are yet to be seen.
Other Scriptures reveal that there are other conditions that apply before prayers get answered. They include praying according to His will, and we must also be obeying His commandments. There must also be faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit needs to lead in what we ask in prayer, or we are likely asking in the flesh.
We are also to pray for His glory and His will to be done in what we ask and do. Christian, are you asking God for great things for His glory? Are you praying at all?