Pray. Ask. Believe. Forgive. 7/31/09

Pray. Ask, Believe. Forgive.

In Mark 11, Jesus drove those from the temple courts that were buying and selling – an instance when we see anger…maybe not anger but true conviction of the sanctity of His Father’s house. Mark 11:22-25 he teaches, “Have faith in God…I tell you the truth if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

We go through life encountering mountain after mountain – it is all individually subjective. We often come to God with petition to save us, to keep us from those things that hurt - that hold us down, tie us to the world even. In everyday life, we forget the basic simple truth of believing. I know that in every blog I hit on this but this is what I know needs to be put out there in our generation.

Without the basic knowledge that we have the power of Christ in us and the bible tells us that mountain can be moved by the power of our words [powered by our faith/belief], what hope do we have?

Look at Paul’s example – while in chains and worldly bondage, Paul says in Phillipians 1:19, “for I know through your prayers and the help given me by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” I mean, wow. This is a man that believed not only in his ability to believe and pray but in others power to lift him up in prayer!

Day to day, we all intend to pray for others – it is even put on our hearts…but, we get caught up in our own world, our own time constraints, our own mountains. Often, we feel we do not have the time to pray for ourselves much less others. This morning, I found God putting it on my heart to pray for a few people and I felt as if I did not have the time to properly petition God for myself much less on others’ behalf…you know, God expects paragraphs right? Sometimes, yes but often - LOL – wrong.

How simple it is to take even just a few minutes to be obedient [God doesn’t need the whole scoop, he already knows it] and how important, as we see by Paul’s example, to lift others up before the throne – to dispatch that which God has for them. You never know why but you can guess that usually when it is put on your heart, it is because that person’s strength and belief is being tested and they need to move a mountain. Also, when we pray for others and take the focus off of ourselves, miraculously, God gives back focus/revelation into our own lives [the Word never comes back void, remember?]. Remember, Phillipians 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

This verse touched me this morning in many ways. Sometimes, I get caught up in my own life and the answers I NEED, that I do not realize how it affects others around me. My focus becomes so intense that I alienate and even shut out others in my life. There are times, this is necessary and God will even direct your path in such a way that it is the only way to breakthrough. I am guilty of having to separate myself from people and things that drain me to a point of not being able to focus on the direction I needed to take. Partially motivated by God’s direction but a portion motivated by fear/flesh. Sometimes we just need that break from situations or people and we have to recognize it for what it is – what WE determine we need. At times, our behavior becomes an obstacle to others and the bible teaches us to love one another as Christ loved the church. Would Jesus make those choices? It is clear in Romans 14:13, “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.” We, inadvertently, become a stumbling block when our focus is ONLY ourselves. Me? Guilty as charged.

So, when God speaks to your heart and places another on your mind, pray for them, ask for them, believe for them…go before the throne with no bitterness or unforgiveness in your life and you CAN and WILL help others’ move their mountains. In the process, yours will be thrown into the sea as well.

We are here for a purpose and I cannot think of any better reason than this: Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

Faith Up!