Believing; An Exposition on Mark 11:24

As human beings the word ‘believe’ is at the center of our lives and everyday experience, and our acceptance of certain things to be true or false determines our action. For believers in Christ, living our faith in the face of difficult life issues can be sometimes challenging. However, we are encouraged by the Lord Himself on the importance of activating our belief in order to have our needs met and live fulfilling lives. Let’s examine Mark 11:24;

Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

The Lord instructs us that when we BELIEVE, we have what we seek, meaning, it is placed in our hands. We will realize in time that we truly do have them, but we must activate our trust in God when we pray. 

God places the onus of believing ON US. That decision is ours, not God’s. The Lord admonishes us to adopt THE ATTITUDE OF TAKING THE STEP TO BELIEVE THAT IT IS SO. TO REGARD IT SO, about the things for which we have prayed. He didn’t say we have to feel like it. You will notice that in this verse, Jesus begins by saying, “therefore, I SAY TO YOU.” How clearer can it be that the Lord is telling us how He wants us to behave when it comes to our prayers. Let us relax, let go our natural instints, and let God in - let faith in. Let it do what it can do in us. This is where we struggle because he an uneasy with not being in control. Let go and let faith. Let God.

So we see that in believing, God is waiting on us and not the other way round.

Let’s consider John 20:29. Here we see the Lord chastising Thomas for his lack of faith, and afterwards He points to the attitude He requires and says; “blessed are those WHO HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE BELIEVED.” The Lord requires us to have faith in the absence of a tangible physical showing because faith does not require the eyes but the heart. This is the Lord’s way for having our needs met. In other words, blessed are those who let go and let faith.

In addition, when the Lord said “believe that you receive them,” what that means is; ‘act like it, behave like we receive them,’ then He concludes, “and you will have them.” Pause for a minute and let those words resonate in your spirit, it is as though He were saying “be live it.” No, He didn’t say feel like it. Believing comes from your heart, down in your spirit and not from your feelings which is your soul. Don’t even waste your energy trying to feel like it, only just “Be. Live It.”

I must say that the Lord is in the business of fulfilling His will, and not our self-will. When our hearts and desires are in line with His will, whether it’s a need or a want, (just as a father gives good gifts to his children) He’ll come through in our lives for His glory. Romans 11:36 says, “for of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things; to whom be glory forever. Amen.” So all things, including meeting our needs, are meant for His glory. This is real faith.

Now, It is quite possible that we have been seeking the Lord for a thing for a long time seeing little or no change at all. This is most wearying to the soul and a test of our faith and our ability to endure. We don’t understand the reason for the delay. Take heart God understands, He knows. Let’s not lose hope. 

Standing in faith does not require us to deny the existence of our situation. If we do, we wouldn’t be able to get the proper counsel and help when we need it. We should not speak unadvisedly or negatively however, but speak in faith/agree with God, positive and hopeful. 

So friends, let’s keep praying, keep trusting, keep acting like it, keep behaving like it, keep regarding it so, keep staying in faith, and keep thanking Him for it. Sooner or later, surely at the right time, we’ll experience our answer from the Lord. So let go today and let faith. And when it comes, both the thing that we seek and we ourselves will be most beautiful.