January 16, 2025
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 1:24-26
On the day Jesus Christ traveled to Jerusalem and cleansed the Temple He came across a fig tree filled with leaves but barren of fruit. Since the leaves of the fig tree appear after the fruit, the tree should have been filled with figs but it was fruitless. The tree was deceptive. The Lord Jesus Christ pronounced that the tree would never feed a man again.
The following morning the disciples were surprised to find that the tree had dried up from its roots. It amazed the men that Jesus’ demand was fulfilled so quickly and sufficiently. Because of this the Lord took the opportunity to teach them about prayer.
In this passage we find two conditions required for prayers to be answered.
Faith – the heart must believe that God hears and answers prayer. Faithlessness discourages prayer and hinders your relationship with God. Faithful prayers are powerful because they are heard and answered.
Forgiveness – forgive others and then seek God’s forgiveness. If one refuses to forgive, they will not be forgiven. This encourages love for others. An effective prayer life is the result of a forgiving heart.
When it comes to prayer, Jesus is more interested in the heart than in the posture. If your heart is right with God your prayers will be heard and answered.
Thanks for reading…
Pastor Ramirez