Daily in Christ 5/23
ALL THINGS
All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted
If God wants it done, can it be done? Yes! "All things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23). If God wants me to do it, can I do it? Of course! "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
What are the "all things" mentioned in those verses? Is this "miracle-a-moment" living? Can we just name it and claim it? No. "All things" pertains to God's will. What God makes possible is the doing of His will; what He empowers us to do is what He desires done. Every miracle outside the will of God is made possible by the god of this world. Satan can work miracles, but he cannot please God (Matthew 7:20-23).
Jesus shocked His disciples when He cursed a fig tree which bore no fruit for Him. The next day Peter noticed the tree was withered from the roots up. When Peter pointed it out to Him, Jesus answered, "Whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted" (Mark 11:23, 24).
Can such a miraculous thing happen by prayer and faith? Yes, if we understand what a God-wrought miracle is. A miracle from God is a supernatural intervention in the fixed order of the universe for the sole purpose of establishing His kingdom. A true miracle can only be accomplished by God and only to help fulfill His redemptive purpose.
Moving a mountain into the sea fulfills no redemptive purpose. Besides, given enough time and earth-moving equipment, we could accomplish that without God. The point Jesus is making is this: If God wants it done, it can be done. Nothing can keep us from doing the will of God, if we believe. Nobody can stop us from being the person God wants us to be. "Mountains" are often obstacles standing in the way of accomplishing God's will. Faith removes such barriers.
Prayer: Lord, I ask that I will be so sensitive to Your Spirit and full of faith that my prayers will be in harmony with Your will.
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