Mark 11:20-26 – The Power of Prayer
Peter is amazed at how powerful Jesus’ curse is. Jesus takes the opportunity to teach the disciples about prayer and faith. First of all, He makes the tremendous promise that a faithful prayer can remove mountains. Mountains are a picture of all the problems we have in this life that seem so impossible to solve. They can be sickness, work situations, relationships with other people, or what seems the most mountainous, a heart that is hard against God. There is no circumstance or attitude that God does not have power over.
What is required to move these mountains? Well, first you have to ask. This may seem simple, but sometimes we wonder why God hasn’t solved a problem for us, and we’ve never asked Him to. When we ask God by praying, we must have faith. What kind of faith? Well, we have to believe that God has the power to move the mountains. Faith in God also involves wanting His will to be done, not ours. When you have faith in God, you believe in who He is and the power He has, but you also believe that His way is best. So, you ask for the mountains to be removed His way in His time. Finally, no prayers will be heard by God if they don’t come from a forgiving heart. If we refuse to forgive others, how can we ask God for forgiveness and help in our prayers. Considering all the mountains in our lives, it’s amazing that we don’t spend more time asking God to move them.
Questions
- Why was Peter amazed?
- What kind of things are mountains, and how do we get rid of them?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks for God’s power and promises to us.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.