Prayer...Ask and it will be given?

We have been looking at prayer that is focused, birthed and enjoyed with God's glory in mind. Prayer that begins, rather than ends, "in Jesus' name" Praying with Godly priorities is expressly what Jesus meant when He said in Mark 11:24:
"Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

We have to look at this verse in the context of Scripture. Mark 11:20-24 gives us a fuller picture of the proper understanding of this familiar passage:
"Now in the morning as they passed by they saw the fig tree dried up from the root. And Peter, remembering said to Him, "Rabbi, look the fig tree which you cursed has withered away."
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 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." NAS translation.

First we see that the fig tree that Jesus had cursed back in verse 14 had withered away "from the root". Interesting because the root is the source of life for a tree. Jesus judgement on the tree was for not providing what its appearance promised. It should have been full of fruit but it had none. The fig tree was often used in the OT as representing the Nation of Israel. (Hos 9:10; Nah 3:12; Zech. 3:10) Jesus' condemnation, here is for the "fruitlessness" on the nation of Israel and specifically those who were given the responsibility to teach and reveal the truth of the Scriptures (The law-keepers and teachers: Pharisees, Sadducees and High Priests). Jesus cursed the tree because it appeared to be bearing much fruit but coming closer found it to be barren. Appearances deceived. And this occurred at the root...it was at the very core.

Bryan Chapell tells us " ...Christ's promises to honor our requests come in the context of His demonstrating (through the cursing of a fig tree representing the Jewish leaders who rejected Him) how He will deny blessing to anyone who refuses to give preeminent glory to God (vv.11-23; See also Matt. 21:15-22). Jesus' promise to provide whatever we ask in prayer rests on the understanding that we will pray with godly priorities."

To pray with a godly priority, preparation and expectation should bring peace and joy to all our prayers because we understand that God's will is right. When we pray we should not fear or doubt the result of the prayer even when it is answered contrary than how we prayed.

First priority: Prayer should be a way of life for Christians. It should not be duty or another thing to check off our list. Spurgeon puts it this way:

"There are so many persons who complain that they don't enjoy prayer. They don't neglect it, for they dare not; but they would neglect it if they could, because they don't find any pleasure in praying. And don't we all have to admit, that sometimes when we pray, that it is very difficult work and seems to be almost drudgery? We spend the allotted time, but we rise from our knees unrefreshed, like a man who has laid on his bed but has not slept so hasn't really recovered his strength. When the time comes around again conscience drives us to our knees, but there is not sweet fellowship with God...there are many Christians, I think, who complain of this—that they pray not so much because it is a blessed thing that allows them to draw near to God, but because they must pray, because it is their duty, because they feel that if they did not, they would lose one of the sure evidences of being Christians."

Second is preparation: As we move through our day our minds and hearts are joined and gather our petitions. Our mind takes God's Word so that we see things before us with His perspective and then our hearts layer on great desire for God to hear our requests. We filter what we feel through the Word of God so we are not caught up with so much "me centered requests" but God centered. Again, I love C.H. Spurgeon's depiction of being prepared:

" You are like a man who goes to a store and doesn’t know what he wants to buy. He may perhaps make a good purchase when he is there, but certainly it is not a wise plan to adopt. And so the Christian in prayer may afterwards attain to a real desire, and get what he asked for, but how much better would it be if having prepared his soul by consideration and self-examination of his true needs, he came to God with specific requests. If we requested a meeting with a king or a president, we should expect to be able to answer the obvious question, “What do you wish to see them about?” We would not be expected to go into the presence of royalty or a great leader, and then to think of some petition after we came there. It is the same with the child of God. They should be able to answer the great question, “What is your petition and what is your request, and it will be yours?”

Third is expectation: Kaity, our second daughter is in Greece today. For the last six months we have expectantly looked at her upcoming trip. We thought and talked about it everyday. We prayed for good weather, her safety and we talked about the privilege to go and see first hand where Paul traveled. To stand on Mars Hill and imagine what it was like to hear Paul speak to the citizens of Athens. Great expectation went into our preparation. And now we can see how God will answer our prayers.
That is but a minor way to illustrate how expectantly we should be about God answering our petitions. “Cold prayers,” says an old Christian, “ask for a denial.” When we have in our hearts and minds our petitions, our souls must become so possessed with the value of that request, and our own excessive need for it, we are compelled to plead as a man pleads for his life. We plead and persevere and keep asking but always under the authority and submission to God's will.

"We must have such a desire for the thing we want, that we will not stop praying until we have it—but always in submission to his divine will, nevertheless. Feeling that the thing we ask for cannot be wrong, and that he himself has promised it, we have resolved it must be given, and if not given, we will plead the promise, again, and again, until heaven's gates will shake before our pleas will cease. No wonder that God has not blessed us much lately, because we are not fervent in prayer as we should be. Oh, those cold-hearted prayers that die upon the lips—those frozen supplications; they don’t move men's hearts, how should they move God's heart? They don’t come from our own souls, they don’t well up from the deep secret springs of our inmost heart, and therefore they cannot rise up to him who only hears the cry of the soul, before whom hypocrisy and formality are clearly seen. We must be earnest, otherwise we have no right to hope that the Lord will hear our prayer." Spurgeon

How can we resolve to pray God's will and still put our requests forward.? Again, I can't put it in better words or perspective than Spurgeon did back in 1860. Timeless words that intertwine God's sovereignty and our privilege to pray our needs and requests to the Father.

"Our prayers are God's decrees in another shape. The prayers of God's people are but God's promises breathed out of living hearts, and those promises are the decrees, only put into another form and fashion. Don’t say, “How can my prayers affect the predetermined will and plan of God?” They cannot, except in so much that your prayers are decrees, and that as they come out, every prayer that is inspired of the Holy Spirit to your soul is as omnipotent and as eternal as that decree which said, “Let there be light, and there was light;” or as that decree which chose his people, and ordained their redemption by the precious blood of Christ. You have power in prayer, and you stand today among the most potent ministers in the universe that God has made. You have power over angels, they will fly at your command. You have power over fire, and water, and the elements of the earth. You have power to make your voice heard beyond the stars; where the thunders die out in silence, your voice will wake the echoes of eternity. The ear of God himself will listen and the hand of God himself will yield to your will. He commands you pray, “Your will be done,” and your will, will be done. When you can plead his promise then your will is his will. " emphasis mine.

Amen! Amen!

Have a blessed weekend and Lord's Day.