“I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”
Mark 11:24 NLT
Notice the words in this verse. It says we’re to believe we have received what we pray for. That’s past tense. It doesn’t take faith to believe our prayers will be answered after what we asked for is in plain sight. Trusting Him for answers before we see them is what the Lord wants.
The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God (see Hebrews 11:6). That may sound harsh, but scripture also promises that He gives each of us a measure of faith (see Romans 12:3).
If you gave your daughter a present and she left it on a shelf, unopened, you’d be disappointed. It may have been something she really wanted, so you found the perfect gift and wrapped it beautifully, but it is useless just sitting there. It’s the same with God’s gift of faith. We don’t have to struggle with positive thinking or work up enough faith. All we have to do is accept what He has already provided and exercise the faith He gives.
Some people misuse this scripture and pray for foolish things that aren’t according to His will. But when we stay close to Him, our desires will line up with His, and we can have complete confidence that we will receive our request.
Dear Father, thank You for the faith You generously give me. I want my desires to perfectly align with Your desires for me so I can ask with true faith, knowing You have already provided the answer. Amen.
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Today’s reading was adapted from Daily Wisdom for Women: 2017 Devotional Collection with permission from Barbour Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reading was written by Ardythe Kolb.