Why Couldn't You? continued...

Jesus has His part to play and we have ours
As we walk along with Jesus and grow in our relationship with Him, we find that in almost every part of our relationship, He has His part to play and we have our part to play.   It is not a one-sided relationship.  As far as getting prayers answered, our part is to have faith.

Faith is believing what God says is true because it is God who said it.  It is believing in what God says is true and then acting as if it were so.  Faith is our part in getting our prayers answered.

How do we get faith?
If our part is to have faith, how much do we need?  And how do we get it?  The very first step in getting our prayers answered is to make sure what we are asking falls in line with what God’s Word says.  We can’t ask God to answer our prayers for things that are contrary to His will.  That is the very first thing we need to make sure of.

How do we know if we are praying according to what God’s Word says?  Search the Scripture to see if what you are praying for lines up with His Word.

If your request is about healing, find out:  “Does God want me to be healed?”

If it is about relationships, find out:  “Does God want this relationship to work?”

If it is about paying your bills, find out:  “Does God want to supply all of my needs?”

Based on Scripture that deals with healing, relationships, and supplying needs, the answer to these questions would be “yes.”  These types of prayers fall in line with God’s will for your life.

We can also be fairly certain it is along God’s will if our prayer is for something that is good, wholesome, pure, honest, and from a heart of love.  We have to ask ourselves what the motive is behind the request.

When we know that our requests fall in line with God’s will, we know they are something God wants to do for everyone.  Now we just need to put our faith to work to get the answer working in our lives.   

How much faith do we need?
Once you know you are asking for something that falls in line with God’s Word, how much faith do you need to get these prayers answered?  Well, you’ll be happy to learn that all you need is a little to get started.  Jesus told the disciples,

Matthew 17:20b-21
“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”

What does Jesus mean by moving mountains?  Surely He doesn’t mean that you can tell Mount Rushmore in South Dakota to move to Orlando, Florida!  What is meant by ‘mountain’ here is the various ‘mountains’ we face in our lives, such as sickness, depression, fear, anxiety, relationship problems, weight issues—all these things that can be mountains to us because they seem too big to overcome.  

So, to move these mountains out of our lives, Jesus said, all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed!  If we have the smallest amount of genuine faith, we can do all things!

How can we do this with just a little faith—faith the size of a mustard seed?  Mark gives us more of the answer to the secret of mountain-moving faith.

Mark 11:22-24:
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “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. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Notice who this verse says to have faith in:  “Have faith in God.”  We only need faith the size of a mustard seed because it is only a tiny amount of faith in God and His ability that we need.  A small amount of faith in God is enough because a small amount of God is big!  Because God is so big, all we need is a small amount of Him in our lives to get started.

To put it another way, Jesus can do all things in your life because of your faith.  Jesus is the one who answers your prayers, not you!  But Jesus needs something to attach His promises to, and that something is your faith in His ability.  And a small, tiny amount is all He needs to get started.

Ask yourself, “Do I believe God will help me, or am I depending on myself to help me?” 

If you are depending on yourself, you will never have enough faith.  You do not have the power to answer your prayers.  If you are depending on yourself, you are not giving God the authority He needs to give you the victory in that area.  You are still in charge.  You need to focus on God and His ability when a mountain in your life needs to be moved.  That is why you only need a little faith to start out!