21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.
22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
The Jewish teacher’s use of hyperbole.
If you have faith, and do not doubt, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
1) How can we have faith and not doubt?
Pray to.
2) How can we tell if we have the faith that ensures we “receive whatever we ask for in prayer?
We pray for something, and then?
Are we building up a lot of contingency plans for what to do if God does not come through? Is our prayer simply another string to our bow?
Are we prepared to let our own plans, schemes and subterfuges rest once we have prayed?
Sometimes, when I pray, it’s as if I see Jesus in front of me, see him nod, and I just know that God has heard my prayer and will grant what I have asked.
And other times, more often than not, I pray half-heartedly, with hope rather than shining faith.
Even though prayer is all gain, and we just get to ask God for anything we want, how feebly and half-heartedly we pray so often. With so little faith, almost as if we don’t want to embarrass God with our requests.
* * *
It is recorded that at the Transfiguration, And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.’
One secret of effective prayer is simply “seeing” Jesus with the eyes of faith, and chatting to him rather than sending our earnest requests into the void.
Learning to “see Jesus” has been transformational in the spiritual walk of many heroes of the faith.
Matthew 21:14
The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
The silver lining in our sorrows is that they are more likely to impel us to turn to Jesus, and to receive his healing.
15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
They were indignant when they saw the wonderful things he did. Do not be surprised to find yourself punished for your excellence, your spiritual giftedness, for anything which makes you stand out, and threaten the less gifted.
16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants
you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”
you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”
The natural response to the glory of God comes forth more easily from children.
17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree
18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
In line with the parable of talents. Gifts not used wither.
Since, the fruit of the fig tree begins to appear about the same time as the leaves, the appearance of leaves in full bloom should have indicated that the fruit was already growing. Jesus’s actions are symbolic, indicating the hypocrisy of those who have the appearance of bearing fruit, but in fact are not.
20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.
22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Share on site of your choice … Wikio
Read my new memoir: Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India (US) or UK.
Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anitamathiaswriter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anita.mathias/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnitaMathias1
My book of essays: Wandering Between Two Worlds (US) or UK
Thank you, Anita.
[email protected]
Hello Jennifer, It's about 3-4 hours to drive to France from Oxford on the Channel Tunnel. I don't personally have any involvement with OCCA, but I know the Ramsdens who have founded it; we've been in the same home group for six years. If you send me your email, I can give you Anne's email, and you can email her your questions.
Blessings,
Anita
The western side of Oregon is probably like England/France, more wet, rainy, very green, and my husband grew up there and we lived there in Eugene for about 12 years. But drive over the Cascade Mt. range to the central/eastern side of Oregon and it's true desert, a totally different climate.
I see you spent time in Ohio. That's the other third of my life–not Ohio, but Michigan. My mom's whole family is from that area and two of my sisters are still there, one in MI and one in OH. I attended high school and undergrad in MI.
Oui, j'aime la France! Pourquoi, je ne sais pas! How fun that you get to have weekly conversation classes. How long does it take to get to France from Oxford? I was in France once for just a two week visit. I was a chaperone for an American French high school group and we just hit some highlights like Paris, Normandy, and some of the Loire Valley.
What's it like where you live? My husband is interested in the Oxford Center for Christian Apologetics. What do you know about it? I think it's at Wycliffe Hall. If you're familiar with Ravi Zacharias, also from India (I think?), he is involved with the program.
I've been to the Oregon beaches, tide-pooling. Did not know there was desert in Oregon.
I noticed you love France. We do too–we have weekly conversation classes with a tutor, and hop over the channel every chance we get. It's a fascinating country!
Central Oregon currently. Grew up in the Arizona desert. Love the desert but I miss green, the emerald kind of green. I have a lot of olive green here in the junipers in my region, but it's not my favorite. 🙂
High desert. Amazing. We lived in the US for 17 years, and always planned to see the desert, but never managed it. Where do you live?
Thank you for your visit and encouragement!
Anita
Hi Anita, I just stumbled upon your site, and love the encouraging words here! Also enjoyed the post below on the new name, and the beautiful blooms below that. I grew up with fruit orchards but currently live in a high desert area where it's more difficult to grow things…but wait, I grew up in the desert and somehow my dad grew fruit trees? I suppose you can do anything you set your mind to!
~blessings, Jen @ http://www.diaryof1.com