The Meaning of Mark 11:23-24

 “For assuredly whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and cast into the sea’, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you have received them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:23-24).

These verses have been used like a magic formula in the Charismatic-Neo-Pentecostal-Name-it-and-claim-it movement. They have been used to write a blank check type of prayer to get whatever you desire from God. Of course, these verses like so many others, have been aborted from their original context so that a pretext has been created around them – to make them mean other than what Jesus said it means.

So, let’s go back to verse twelve to get the context and flow of thought, Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He (Jesus) was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said it to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it (Mark 11:12-14).

Skipping to verse twenty of Mark 11, Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away.”

So, Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:20-22). Word of Faith teachers misinterpret this verse to say Jesus said, “have the faith of God or the God kind of faith.” God does not need faith to do anything. Who would He trust in?

We arrive at Jesus talking about moving mountains because of the cursing of the fig tree back in verse fourteen. The point Jesus is driving home is have faith in God when you pray. The phrase regarding the mountain, being removed and cast into the sea is hyperbole. Hyperbolic language is intentionally exaggerated speech to prove a point. Obviously, Jesus is not talking about us literally moving mountains. But rather, with trust in God, we can overcome insurmountable odds in life. The mountain simply represents a colossal challenge in our lives.

Verse twenty-four Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (vs. 24).

This verse has been a staple for the Word of Faith movement. This is where they use the power-of-positive-confession to say things like: I believe am healed. I believe I have that new home. I claim that new job. I bind the devil and demons over my finances, etc. If you confess things which are currently in the spiritual realm over and over again, they will by the force of faith, manifest in the natural realm. How do I know this? Because I was part of this environment for years. This is not what Jesus meant when He said when you pray believe you receive the things you prayed for, and you shall have them – that you keep confessing what you want over and over again. Jesus was simply teaching us to trust Him. In due season we will reap if we do not give up (Gal 6:9).

Now according to verse twenty-four of Mark 11, is Jesus saying we can have whatever we want? No. But that is what the verse clearly appears to imply right? Yes, it does.

That is why it is so important to be well versed in your Bible. What we desire is not always the will of God. Ultimately God’s will be done (not ours) on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10). The Lord gives His children the privilege of praying to Him to fulfill His will in their lives here on earth. Prayer is not about us getting solely what we want. God is not a Cosmic Jeanie in a name-it-and-claim-it bottle.

In John 5:14 we read, “This is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will (italics mine), He hears us. And if we know He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we have asked of Him.”

Jesus also commanded us to seek first His kingdom and righteousness and everything that we need will be added to us (Matt 6:33). It is a matter of priority when we pray. If we are seeking our own desires over the Lord’s will, we will not receive what we desire from the Lord (James 4:3). Also, if we doubt, do not expect to receive from the Lord either (James 1:6). All prayer to God MUST be in faith realizing our God can do the impossible. God’s sovereignly through the prayer of His saints fulfills His master plan in the earth. When we understand that our wills have to be subordinate to His, only then can we have confidence that our desires can be met. Why? Because we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean to our own understanding. In all our ways we are to acknowledge Him so that He can direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).