Powerful Prayer

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but you can also say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:21-22

The words of Jesus are powerful words. They speak the truth. Truth that we can fully believe in. Truth that can radically change our thinking and our lives.

But His words are often taken out of context, misinterpreted, and used to teach false truths. "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer," is a perfect example of this. Just reading that sentence alone makes it sound like whatever we ask for, God will give to us, but how dangerous would that be! If you've ever seen the movie, "Bruce Almighty", you know what I mean by that. Having a god who gives us whatever we want and we think is best is a very weak and unloving god. And thankfully, our God is not like that.

So, what is Jesus saying here? What kinds of prayers have that much power behind them? What should we pray for when faced with situations that are difficult and heartbreaking? To answer those questions we must look at the context that Jesus spoke these words.

Going back to verse 12 of Matthew 21, we see Jesus is upset and angry about several things, all of which have the common thread of corruption in the religious system of the day. People were being forced to "buy" their forgiveness, nothing good was happening for the chosen people of Israel, and Jerusalem (this mountain) had become nothing more than a hill of religious and political power run amuck. And Jesus has had it! Enough is enough, and it was time to do something about it.

And He did. Later that week He allowed Himself to be captured by the Powers That Be and be crucified. He became the "sacrificial lamb" that would set us all free from our sins through nothing more than His mercy, and He rose to life to conquer the grave for us all. And in doing so, He showed us something: His great love. He didn't want to leave doubt in anyone's mind. He loved us enough to pay the ultimate price. And because He was God, He was able to put an exclamation point on the truth that God is love!!!

So what does all of this have to do with prayer? Here's what I think He's saying. "If your belief is rooted in My love for you, in the mercy and grace of God, you can ask Me to do whatever is best for you, and I will do it." And similarly, "If your belief is rooted in my love for your brother, neighbor, child, friend, etc., you can ask Me to do whatever is best for them, and I will do it!"

We often don't know what is best for us or for someone else, but Jesus knows. Leave it all in His hands, and He will give you His very best. Believe in His great love and know that you and your loved-ones are safe there. Always.