The Power of Prayer...but wait...There's a Catch

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." ~Mark 11:22-26

WOW!

The power of prayer is transcending.

We have the ability to take

ANYTHING

before our Father, resting in His promise to hear us when we call out to Him,

and to answer our pleas according to His perfect will.

God's precious gift of prayer is our lifeline. Never should we fear, worry, stress, or be uncertain.

With prayer we are granted the opportunity to "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

With prayer we have understanding, wisdom, discernment, knowledge, direction, and protection from evil.

Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. ~Proverbs 2:3-9

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

With prayer we have a peace that passes all understanding.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:6-7

But this power of prayer is dependent upon 2 essential ingredients:

Our faith in God (Mark 11:22-24)

and

Our forgiveness toward others (Mark 11:25-26).

Although prayer is our lifeline--our most important resource--it becomes powerless if the person praying does not believe or harbors any kind of unforgiveness.

If you pray, but do not believe God is able or willing to answer your prayer, your prayer is futile. But, if you do not doubt in your heart, whatever things you ask for when you pray--if they line up with God's perfect will, and if you believe that you will receive them--you will have them. We must judge Him faithful who has promised (Heb.11:11).

And if you pray, but deep down (or not so deep down) you are nursing a grudge, and you are harboring unforgiveness, then your Father also will not forgive you. This is not in reference to our salvation, as our position as a child of God cannot be lost. However, fellowship can be broken. And when we choose not to forgive others, God will not forgive us our trespasses, and therefore we have broken fellowship with the Father. He does not hear our prayers because our sin (unforgiveness) stands in the way. Our forgiveness of others is critical to our fellowship with our Holy Father. And a real understanding of His forgiveness toward us will naturally produce the forgiveness of others. When we see offenses against us in the shadow of the cross they seem so dim in comparison. Forgiveness should be immediate.

My pastor put it this way:

"Forgiveness is not a burden God places on us, but rather it is a safeguard for our mental health and emotional stability."

Our forgiveness allows no root of bitterness to sprout. And it keeps an open line of communication with the Father. Therefore, anxiety and worry and fear and any other kind of emotional roller coaster need not exist because we can take our requests and needs directly to the Father. We must therefore FORGIVE on the basis of the grace of God. We must FORGIVE because God, through Christ, first forgave us.

I don't know about you, but that is quite a hard pill for me to swallow.

After I read this Scripture I found myself going over and over it again.

Do I believe? Sure I believe...but do I BELIEVE? Without a doubt in my mind, do I believe that God is able, that He is willing, and that I will receive that which I ask for?

And what about that person that keeps coming up, the one that just the thought of her name gets my blood boiling? I am justified, right?? She was in the wrong. Or what about that person who was so rude in line today while checking out. Or the driver that cut me off yesterday. Or...

Oh how easy it is to get offended. And how natural it is for us to hold a grudge, to harbor that unforgiveness, to mull over a wrong committed against us.

But Christ...

But the cross...

Jesus died for all of that. And He died for you, and for me, and for anyone who may offend us today or tomorrow or 5 years from now. When you shed The Light on the situation, any offense is minuscule in comparison to the cross Christ bore for me, the wrath He endured for me, the suffering He voluntarily submitted to for me.

So today I am believing. Whatever I ask, I am believing that I will receive, because God is God. According to His perfect will, and His good plan for me, I am believing that He is able, willing, and pleased to give me the desires of my heart.

And today I am choosing forgiveness. I am not waiting for an apology. I am letting it all go. Because God is bigger. And His grace abounds. And His mercy was lavished upon me. So, as I have been forgiven, I choose to forgive.

How about you...

Do you believe? Are you asking, believing that you will receive?

Do you have any grudges you need to set free? Is your heart marred with bitterness? Do you need to forgive?

If you think it's too hard, remember...if you believe, ask...and you shall receive. God's grace abounds.