FIRST BELIEVE

Mark 11: 20-25                 • The eBook, Prayer Therapy Primer is available at www.amazon.com
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In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"

"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. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

There are two important points in this scripture. The first is that we are to forgive others SO THAT our heaven Father can forgive us our sins. "So that" is the difference between being forgiven and not being forgiven.

The second point: "Believe that you have received it," Mark’s Gospel says, "and it will be yours."

This is the core concept of Prayer Therapy, the prayer form we use on this blog. We pray specifically so God can answer specifically and then live our day knowing that our prayer has been heard. [Training information is above]

This event described in Mark tells us that Jesus was still teaching his beloved disciples, and us through the faithfulness of people like Mark, even as the time neared for him to go home to his father, God. And what he taught them was the essence of answered prayer - belief. We are to believe even before we receive the "proof" that our prayer has been heard, some tangible evidence that he answered our prayer. Believe first, and those prayers will be answered that are in keeping with the will of God. Let us pray:

"God of us all and creator of all there is, we do praise your name for it is holy. May your kingdom come to my life and let me dwell within it. I ask this day for the faith of the Saints that I may pray with a believer’s heart. I will live each day, knowing that you have heard my prayer and that you will answer my prayer in a way that will fulfill your plan for me and for your children. Forgive me when I have prayed to you and then did not believe that you would answer my prayer. I choose this day to believe before I see. In the name of and by the power of your precious son, Jesus, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp

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