Pray!

Pray!

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:24 KJV

First, these are Jesus' words, not reported speech. Jesus had cursed a fruitless fig tree the day before, and today, the disciples saw that the tree had withered from the roots. The surprise was understandable, but the lessons Jesus wanted to teach are even more fundamental to our walk of faith. 

LESSON 1: He speaks to his disciples, not the crowd. In every generation, there will always be the crowd: those who make up numbers, who flow with all that is popular, and who have no view of theirs or any personal experience of Jesus. They are content with other people's testimonies. Am I one of the crowd or a true disciple? Can Jesus be talking to me as one who follows Him closely or as one who takes a view and an opinion from afar? 

LESSON 2: God knows we have desires, dreams and devotions, but these can only find expression and fulfilment, when they are subject to the control and influence of the Holy Spirit. There is a proper way of handling desires, as well as an improper way of doing so, and what I get is a result of how I approach it. Do I grumble, complain, argue or moan about my lot in life, or have I found the perfect way to lay them bare before God for his intervention?

LESSON 3: PRAY. The benefits of going to God in prayer never gets old. God is able to reach out and direct my life down the path he wants for me; He is able to dictate terms of engagement and approach, and how best His will can prosper in my hands. That is what prayer does. If we know its value, why then don't we take advantage of all the opportunities presented by God for me to talk with Him? 

LESSON 4: Faith is such an integral part of our walk with God. Without it, God makes it clear that we cannot please Him. Why would I waste precious time speaking to God about something I have convinced myself He won't do? If I come to God in prayer, it is because I know He answers prayers, and is able to bring to pass the things I am trusting God for. People of old lived and died on the basis of their faith in God. It didn't always end the way man would think, but it always ended the way God wanted it. The least I can do is to sit with God and let Him tell me what He wants from me, how He wants me to approach the assignment, and the things I need for the assignment. When God directs this way, impact is non-negotiable.

LESSON 5: Ye shall have them. God doesn't ask me to just keep asking, seeking of knocking; He promises me answers when I pray. I must leave room for and embrace his answers, no matter what they look like. They may not always start out the way I envision them to be, but I am sure that because I am his child, He will always give me what is best for me. I go out armed with the benefit of knowing God has got my back, and nothing happens to me without his permission. I have God on my side; I have all that my life needs. His time of favour is here.