In Mark 11:24 I read, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (NIV)
If I gave you a check today for a thousand dollars, would you withhold your thanks until you knew it wouldn’t bounce? Anyone who knows me would think, “This is a pretty good guy. I can trust that he has enough in his account to cover it. I’ll thank him right now.” You’d thank me first—and then you’d take the check to the bank.
God’s promises are better than any of our promises. Before I even receive what he has promised, I can say, “Thank you, God. I know that what you promised will happen and you’ll do what you say you will do.
There’s a great example of this in God’s “Faith Hall of Fame” in Hebrews 11. Remember how Joshua led the Israelites around Jericho, where the walls fell down? How did the walls fall down? Hebrews 11:30 says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days” (NIV).
The people of Israel were going into the Promised Land, where the powerful city of Jericho was located. God promised he was going to let the Israelites into the city and then gave them his plan. It went something like this: “I want you to go and march around Jericho for seven days. Then on the seventh day, I want you to march around the city seven times, thanking me for the victory that’s going to come.” And when they did that, the walls just fell. God did what he’d promised!
What if I’d been one of those people marching around the walls for seven days? I’m sure some of them must have been looking at the walls, getting more and more worried and wondering how God could ever bring the walls down. But a lot of those people had faith instead. And every day they looked at the wall and thought about what God could do and thanked him in advance.
This is the kind of life that God wants me to live, the thanking-God-in-advance kind of life. Jesus talked about it in Mark 11:24: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (NIV).
When I ask God for something, why even ask if I don’t believe? It’s an empty exercise.
Jesus said that if I pray and ask God for something, I should believe he’s going to do it. Thank him in advance for what only he can do. And then look for how he answers your prayer.
In summary, God’s promises are better than any of our promises. Before I even receive what he has promised, I can say, “Thank you, God. I know that what you promised will happen and you’ll do what you say you will do. There’s a great example of this in God’s “Faith Hall of Fame” in Hebrews. Hebrews 11:30 says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell”. God promised he was going to let the Israelites into the city and then gave them his plan. He told them to go and march around Jericho for seven days. On the seventh day, I want you to march around the city seven times, thanking me for the victory that’s going to come.” And when they did that, the walls just fell. God did what he’d promised! What if I’d been one of those people marching around for seven days? I’m sure some I might have been looking at the walls, getting more and more worried and wondering how God could ever bring the walls down. But a lot of those people had faith instead. And every day they looked at the wall and thought about what God could do and thanked him in advance. This is the kind of life that God wants me to live, the thanking-God-in-advance kind of life. When I ask God for something, why even ask if I don’t believe? It’s an empty exercise. Jesus said that if I pray and ask God for something, I should believe he’s going to do it. Thank him in advance for what only he can do. And then look for how he answers your prayer.
My prayers are often motivated by my own interests and desires. I like hearing that I can have anything. But Jesus prayed with God's interests in mind. When I pray, I can express my desires, but I should want his will above my own. Check to be sure my prayers are focused on my interests or on God's.
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