“Therefore, I say unto you, whatever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you shall have them.” Mark 11:24

Prayer is one of the most fundamental aspects of a Christian’s spiritual life. Connecting with God, seeking guidance and understanding, and experiencing a deeper communion with Him are important. However, many of us struggle to pray as we ought to. Today’s devotion explores this idea further and provides insights into how we can experience deeper communion through Prayer by praying as we ought to and develop a richer prayer life by focusing on the quality of our communication with God rather than quantity.

One of the most exciting things about God, our Lord Jesus Christ, is that He makes his ways known unto us (Psalms 103:7). He does not hide from the believer. That is why Jesus said to his disciples blessed are your eyes because they see, it is given unto you to know the mystery of the kingdom of God (Matthew 13:16, Luke 10:23, and Mark 4:11). Mark 11:24 is one of the few places where Jesus directly likens His action to how God works. Mark 11:22 says, ‘And Jesus answering said unto them, have faith in God (better put have the faith of God or the God-kind of faith).’ It’s like saying, let me give you a course into how God gets things done. He believes it and affirms it with His lips.

Matthew 6:7 says, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.”

God speaks what He wants into existence. This agrees with the picture Moses said in the first book of the Bible (Genesis 1). The word ‘God said’ was used a whopping ten times only in that chapter. It was also the first definite action attributed to the spirit of God (Genesis 1:2-3). Without hesitation, we know how our Father works, and we can’t but work that same way. So, in Mark 11:22-26, Jesus explains how to get results in Prayer. He outlines three core things; the first Prayer is desire, ‘whatever things you desire,’ You must desire in Prayer, that is, have a definite expectation. Of course, material things are in focus here, but it also applies to non-material things.

I could desire to fellowship with the Father, bask in the wealth of His love, and pray for others, but there must be a definite desire. In other words, Prayer should be done from the heart. Remember, Prayer is the language of the soul (a place of true love and sincerity); when done with it, it carries more power than any other words. If we pray out of obligation or habit, without feelings of sincerity, our prayers may not be heard as we would hope. So, praying as we ought to requires a certain devotion and dedication to God. There must be a definite desire for an intimate relationship with the Lord for our prayers to be answered. Amen. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Amen.

Prayer:
Psalm 119:10; Oh Lord, with my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments in Jesus’ name. Amen.