Overcoming Adversity Part 3 - The secret to getting prayer answered? | Mark 11:20-26
Timestamp
00:00 - Livestream starts & Introduction
06:17 - Message: The secret to getting prayer answered? - Overcoming Adversity
08:26 - Mark 11:20-26
09:26 - Cast the mountain into the sea? What does that mean?
11:39 - Jesus' promise that our prayers will be answered?
12:53 - Matthew 26:36-39
13:40 - How Jesus prayed when in 'agonising sorrow'
14:12 - God get me out of this!
15:18 - The most extraordinary prayer
16:10 - The key to answered prayer
17:23 - How do I know what God wants?
22:14 - Study the Bible
26:18 - The "Secret Prayer Room"
30:00 - The power of Accountability (Finding your greatness)
39:35 - Worship: Overcome with Lyrics
45:10- Catch up
48:50 - Close
We are in our mini-series on Overcoming Adversity, so let me give you a quick recap on what we have looked at so far.
In the first week, we looked at this idea that the power of positive thinking isn't all that powerful...that we need something more than just an optimistic attitude to life. We also look at the idea that God will quite often deal with the root first, and as a result, we don't always see an instant change.
Then last week, we talked about this idea of having faith in God, and not just ourselves or other people. We discovered that it is only a mustard seed of faith that we need - so nothing huge, unlike the mountain that we face. So we left off last week about the need to acknowledge the mountain and confront the brutal facts of it, and not just ignore it.
- All fab stuff...so let's jump straight in and see what else Jesus has got for us this week!
“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. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be 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 receive them, and you will have them.”
Casting the mountain into the sea
Have you ever been fishing? Fishing is about casting. You cast the line. Imagine doing that with a mountain. There is no way, is there? It is too big. Maybe we can cast a small pebble from it - but that's about it.
Well, the mountain to God is like the small pebble to me.
We need God to do this. This is not something that we do by ourselves, and we talked about this last week, the mountain is too big for us, too colossal, beyond our strength and ability but it not beyond the reach of God.
If we rely on our own strength, we are moving small rocks. Making some progress, but never really making a significant dent in the thing, despite how hard we try. We need God to cast the mountain.
And then Jesus talks about casting it into the sea. Why the sea? Well, I don't want to read too much into this, but the seas cover the mountains, and the seas are not normally where you live. You normally live on the ground, right. So this is irradicating the mountain to a place where you cannot see it and where it will not impact you.
This is some really powerful imagery from Jesus - and so He then immediately uses it to talk about Prayer. The same principles apply to prayer.
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
Jesus' Teaching on Prayer
This is an incredible promise. Jesus is telling us that our prayer will be answered. That whatever we ask for in prayer will be given to us.
But is Jesus really saying that God is on your beck-and-call? Is He really saying that you just say it, and just pray for it and you will have it?
It is possible to read that here. But as with all things in the Bible, we should look at the context of what is being said here. And to do that, we should look at the rest of Scripture and get a complete picture.
And when we dig in a little bit - we find that there is a really incredible story in the Gospels that highlight a key point about prayer.
“Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, “Stay here while I go over there and pray.” Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, “This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me.” Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, “My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?””
How did Jesus Pray?
This is a part of the story where Jesus is about to be arrested and tried and executed. It's an awful time for Jesus - the language is clear - Jesus was plunged into an agonising sorrow. That has never happened to me. He is in great despair and it the sorrow is crushing Him. And in the midst of that pain, in the midst of that despair and torment, He prays a prayer that we would all pray in that situation, "God, if there is any way, get me out of this."
I think that is a pretty reasonable request given the situation that Jesus is facing. And it would be remiss of me if I didn't tell you that Jesus did this, He endured this sorrow and despair for you and for me.
“[Let us] fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
What do you want, God?
We are the joy that was set before Him, it's an amazing thing to realise that is for sure.
In that pain, and in that sorrow He asks God to get Him out, to make a way of escape. But then He adds the most extraordinary line, and it is not an easy thing to add to any prayer - especially when you in such sorrow, Jesus said -
"My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?"
Wow. Just wow.
Jesus in the midst of His sorrow knew that prayer was not about what He wanted - but God, what do you want?
And we can make all kinds of assumptions about what God wants, can't we?
What is God after, let's take me out of the equation. Let's take my pain and sorrow out of the equation, let's take my needs, my wants and my desires out of the equation - God what is it you want?
And this is where we can easily miss it.
We can read verses about Jesus answering prayer and start praying for a new car, a new house, more money, a better job, the perfect partner, a clearer mind, freedom from depression and anxiety and so so... and some of these prayers are just and righteous, and some are self-centred and greedy - but we miss one of the key principles of faith - God what is it you want?
So this is not about you getting what you want whenever you want. We have to put aside what we want, and understand what God wants. What is His plan?
How do I know what God wants me to do or to have?
So how do I know what God wants me to do or to have? Well, quite often - we don't. At least we can't always be 100% sure. And that's OK. That's why we call it faith.
But it starts with the prayer of Jesus - God - what do you want?
Quite often, for me - I have a good sense about it. It is more than just a good idea. For example, I know that God cares deeply about the widow and the orphan. I read that in scripture. That is a great principle, and a good idea - but I don't know what the exact outworking of that is in my life.
You take my friend, Phil Watson and his amazing family, they have such a clear sense about this that he has become one of the best and most compelling champions for adoption that I have seen.
There are so many good ideas like this, or championing the cause of the poor, or helping the sick that I could get into - but should I, that is a different question.
I don't know if you tuned in last week, where I talked about the sauna company that I worked for at the start of my career after uni? In a nutshell, that company was put up for sale by the owner after me working there for 5 years - and when it was put up for sale, I really felt strongly that God was going to give me that company. Now - what I didn't do here was tell the owner that, because that would have been all kinds of wrong, but I did believe it. And 5 years later, God did indeed give me that company.
But does that mean God is going to give you a company? That depends on what God has for you. What does He want for you?
So in the complexity of all of this - what are we to think? If I speak to the mountain, how do I know God will back me? What does He want for me? What is the strategy? What are the tactics?
1: Study the Bible
I get messages from folks every week, Christians and non-Christians, with heartbreaking stories. In the last few days, people have struggled with relationship breakups, trying to understand why the world is awful, how to cope because their partner has passed away, child behavioural issues - the list goes on.
These are real stories from real people with real struggles and real hurts. They are real mountains that they are facing.
They are all looking for a way out, answers to their questions. But here's the thing, in myself, I don't have the answers. I am not sure anyone really does, which may sound surprising.
So the best thing I can do is point them to what the Bible says. Why? Because this book is filled with the promises of God, things that He wants for you and for humanity, and it is these that give us that Mustard seed of faith, that spark that starts something that is so magnificent.
For example, someone recently wrote to me that they are:
“I’m at a point in my life where I need true direction and purpose. Need financial freedom somehow. Sick of 9-5. There’s a lot of evil in the world and problems and stress and anxiety and feeling it now”
Now I don't know if this person is a Christian or not - but this is definitely their mountain, and I imagine that a lot of us are feeling something similar now with the ongoing reality of COVID, right?
So what does God want for this person? What are the promises in the Bible that I can find that speak to my situation that will help me get that mustard seed that I am looking for?
Well, there are many, but let's start with just one that Jesus talked about:
“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
This theme of God being our provider is a common theme of Scripture, and it speaks of the nature and love of God for His people.
It doesn't say that God will give you everything that you want. God is not a slot machine. You don't pray and have a new BMW the next day. He is not after spoilt children, but rather Children that transform the landscape of the world.
So I have my mustard seed, God is my provider. What else?
2: The Secret Prayer Room
This is a space where you get still before God, you study the Bible and you become aware of the Holy Spirit who lives in you. You start to sense things, know things, understand things, see things.
It's not flaky at all. Humans have always had the ability to connect with God. Call it your conscience. Call it your intuition. Call it your gut feeling. There are times when you know things, sense things, understand things and see things.
That's what I had when it came to the sauna company. I just sensed it and knew it. Ask me why and I will reply that was God 'speaking'.
For me, my prayer room is my local park. I try and go for a regular walk around it, and just listen for the that still, small voice. And it is here that I start to see things and understand things.
These things become the strategy.
So God is my provider. That's my mustard seed. And then I start to sense that I need to set a budget and get control of how I spend money. I start to see the power of giving which is so counter-intuitive when I need the money myself. I start to get ideas on how to create income. Maybe God deals with my attitude towards work, or people in the office. At different points in time, God reveals His strategy, things that I should do. Steps that I should take.
The how starts to become clear.
But How do I know that what I see is right? Is it really God? Is it something that I am just contouring up in my own imagination? Is it just something that I am desperate for?
I find it easy to dream about winning the lottery. I know enough not to play it, but boy can I dream about it. It would be easy to convince myself that this is something God is saying and so take what little money I have an buy a lottery ticket. But this is not from God, it is not His plan - but how do I know that? What are my safeguards?
Well, again, there are many answers to that question - so let's just stick with one - and I am going to call this accountability. The Bible has a slightly different name for it. The Bible calls this discipleship.
3: Accountability
Accountability is all about finding your greatness. When you have people you voluntarily hold yourself accountable to, you really do change the landscape of your life. This idea of accountability, or discipleship, as old as it is, still works in the modern world. I've seen it in the workplace, I've seen it in my family, I've seen it in my journey with Christ and I've even seen it in my health.
I have groups of people, who are mature Christians, who know God and they know the Bible, people whom I utterly respect who I share what I am thinking with. I tell them things that I am currently sense, know, understand and see.
There are times where they will tell me that I am too focused on myself, and not on God. They may tell me that I am missing the mark. They may tell me that are praying with me. They begin to hold me accountable to what is being said.
So this idea of accountability keeps me safe. It is my safeguard. I know these folks have got my back.
Change isn’t always instant. It definitely isn't easy. It is easy to run out of steam. It is easy to give up the fight and get used the mountain, get used to it being in your life and constantly live in the shadow of it. But that robs something from your soul that should never be taken. What things does God have in store for you? Take the time to know them, sense them, understand them, see them. Become accountable. Find Christians that will stand with you, fight with you and pray with you. Find folks committed to the long game. Have faith in God and find your voice. And never ever give up on the idea that in the end, ultimately, you will prevail. You deal with the brutal facts each and every day. But in the end, you will ultimately prevail, that your prayers will be answered, that you will see God's plans and purposes come to pass and at the end, you may be a battle-weary, but your soul is better for it.