Powerful Praying

Scripture – Mark 11:20-25: ²⁰In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” ²²“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. ²⁴Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Reflection: Jesus has some powerful words here that I find hard to believe. He gives some interesting guidance for prayer.

1) Have faith in God. That seems so basic. At the same time, I am tempted all day long to place my ultimate faith and trust in other things or people. So as simple as it seems, here is where prayer begins – any prayer.

2) Believe you have received whatever you ask for. This is where I begin backpedaling all over the place. I immediately begin a list of things I shouldn’t ask for, and I tell myself Jesus doesn’t mean those. Yet His word is “whatever,” and that is as all-inclusive as it gets. So I’m left to consider carefully what I’m going to ask for.

3) Forgive whoever you need to forgive. I don’t usually have to look far to find people I’m holding something against. Daily forgiveness is a great and freeing discipline. It’s like a gift I give and receive at the same time.

Lord, your amazing word again strikes home with me. As I enter into prayer throughout this day, give me the confidence to pray in faith, expectation and grace. Thanks.

An Invitation: For anyone interested in sharing their personal reflections from this week’s readings, you are invited to come by the Tim Hortons donut shop at Dix-Toledo and Northline in Southgate tomorrow morning at 9:45am. We’ll have a cup of coffee and see what the Lord has been teaching us this week.

Reading for Sunday, March 16:

Scripture – Mark 11:27-33: ²⁷They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. ²⁸“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?” ²⁹Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ³⁰John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!” ³¹They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ³²But if we say, ‘From men’.…” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) ³³So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”