As we point out in our booklet, “Teach Us To Pray!”, Christ’s promise in Mark 11:24 is indeed subject to several conditions. In this passage, Christ is emphasizing the absolute necessity of manifesting living, unwavering and obedient faith in our lives (compare verses 22-23). Without faith that God will do what we ask Him for, we cannot expect to receive anything from Him (compare James 1:6-8). But godly faith alone is not sufficient, either. As explained in our booklet, additional necessary aspects of successful prayer include the need to ask; to ask in faith; to pray boldly; to keep God’s Commandments; to bear the right kind of Christian fruit in our lives; to pray in Christ’s name; and to pray always.
Another additional extremely important and all-encompassing condition for successful prayer is the necessity to pray in accordance with God’s Will (1 John 5:14). This requires that we learn to understand and agree with God’s Will for us (Ephesians 5:17; Romans 12:2). In other words, God must reveal His Will to us (Ephesians 1:9).
Generally, God has shown us His Will for us. God wills that we live godly lives (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7) and inherit His Kingdom (compare Luke 12:32). We also understand that it is not God’s Will that we ask for and receive things to spend them “on our pleasures” (James 4:3). When we ask for those wrong things, we ask “amiss,” and God will not give them to us, even though Christ said in Mark 11:24 that we would receive “all things” from God, if we pray in faith. Rather than viewing this as a contradiction or inconsistency, we must read all the biblical passages in context. For instance, we are told that “all Israel” will be saved (compare Romans 11:26), but we know from other Scriptures that not every single individual will be saved—some WILL commit the unpardonable sin and be burnt up and destroyed in the lake of fire (compare Revelation 20:13-15; Matthew 3:7-12).
We must also realize that it may not be altogether clear to us from the outset what God’s Will may be in a particular, individual situation. When we ask God for His help, we must do so in faith, and we must persistently and continuously pray for God’s intervention, as long as God has NOT made it abundantly clear to us that it is NOT His Will to act in accordance with our specific request. If it SEEMS to us that God’s answer is “No,” we still need to continue praying to God that He intervenes on our behalf—even if this would mrequire that God changes His mind—until His answer has been made known to us as being irrevocable and final, with no possibility of change.
For instance, just prior to His illegal arrest, Christ prayed three times, for about three hours, in the garden of Gethsemane that the cup of suffering and crucifixion would pass from Him (Matthew 26:36-44). Even though He knew that one of the purposes for His coming in the flesh was to suffer and die for us, He prayed to the Father that, if at all possible, another way could be found to accomplish the same purpose. But God showed Him that there was no other way, and so He submitted to God’s Will, after an angel from heaven gave Him the strength and comfort to face His terrible trial (Luke 22:43). And so, Christ told the Father, “… not My will, but Yours, be done” (verse 42).
Paul testified that he was sick—that he had been given “a thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). Apparently, this sickness, perhaps malaria, a serious eye trouble, or another physical affliction or intense body pain, was caused by a “messenger of Satan” (same verse). Paul asked God three times to remove this sickness from him (verse 8), but when God made His Will finally abundantly clear to Paul—telling him that He would not heal him in this life (verse 9)—Paul submitted to and accepted God’s Will for him (verse 10). But before God made His Will clear, Paul did pray THREE TIMES for God’s intervention—undoubtedly with unwavering faith that God would heal him.
We find another example in Scripture where Christ healed a leper who approached Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” And Christ responded, “I am willing,” and He did heal the man (compare Matthew 8:2-3). In that particular incident, it was Christ’s Will to heal—and it is God’s Will to heal us many times (compare Psalm 103:3). But not necessarily always! Sometimes, God may decide not to heal us immediately, or not even in this life. God let Elisha die of sickness (compare 2 Kings 13:14, 20). But when God decides not to heal, He will make His Will abundantly clear. Unless He has done that, we MUST continue to pray persistently in faith, without wavering and doubting, that He WILL heal us—without being shaken by circumstances or “human wisdom” which seem to indicate that God will not heal us. Remember, godly faith is the evidence of things NOT yet seen (compare Hebrews 11:1), and we are to walk by faith, not by sight (compare 2 Corinthians 5:7).
Even when God has announced His Will to His servants that He will do a certain thing, we still can ask God to change His mind, if it is at all possible in accordance with His Will. God told Moses that He would destroy the Israelites, but due to Moses’ intervention, God did not do so (compare Exodus 32:9-14; Psalm 106:23). On the other hand, when God announced to David that his son would die, subsequent circumstances proved that that decision was irrevocable. Even though David fasted and prayed for seven days, his son died. But while his son was still alive, David prayed in faith that God would relent from letting his child die. Only when it had become absolutely clear that no change in God’s Will would occur—only when the child had died—David recognized the finality and ceased from fasting and praying for the child (compare 2 Samuel 12:13-23).
In conclusion, until we know—and we know that we know—that God’s answer to a particular request is, “No!,” we are called upon to ask in unwavering faith for God’s intervention and help. God WILL make it abundantly clear to us if in a given situation, He has irrevocably decided not to intervene for us in the way that we ask Him to. But until that final outcome has been clearly revealed to us, we must not give up imploring God, in faith, to give us the petitions of our heart.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link