Therefore I say to you, all things you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you will have them.” —Mark 11:24 (ASV)
What a promise! It’s so big, so divine, that our limited hearts can hardly comprehend it. We constantly try to shrink it down to what seems safe or likely. We don’t let it enter our lives the way God gave it—full of His power and energy. If we would let that promise shape our hearts, we would be ready to receive all that God’s love and power wants to do for us.
Faith is not just intellectual agreement with God’s Word or a logical conclusion. True faith is the work of the Holy Spirit in a heart prepared by God’s Word. When that happens, the answer is inevitable—because faith is the guarantee and preview of what’s coming.
“All things whatsoever you pray and ask for, believe that you receive.” Human reasoning wants to limit this with qualifiers like “if it’s God’s will” or “if it’s appropriate.” But that weakens the promise. Jesus meant what He said. He repeats “all things” often to stretch our hearts to believe more. He wants us to know how powerful faith is. The Father gives His power to the one who completely trusts Him. Faith is nourished and strengthened by the "all things" Christ promised. And when we weaken that promise, we weaken our faith.
The “whatsoever” is unconditional, except for the condition of believing. Before we can believe, we must know God’s will. Believing is the natural result of a heart surrendered to God’s Word and Spirit. Once we truly believe, nothing is impossible. So let’s pray with hearts that don’t limit Christ’s “all things” to only what seems possible.
When we pray and ask in faith, we will find the Spirit of faith helping us—most powerfully when we kneel at the throne of grace. Jesus said, “Believe that you receive them.” That means we are to believe we already have what we are asking for—even before we see it. This faith removes mountains.
There’s a kind of prayer where we lay all our requests before God and trust Him to decide what’s best. That kind of prayer gives us peace, because we rest in His will. But the prayer Jesus talks about in Mark 11:24 is different. It is bold. It believes God will do what He promised. It stands on the Spirit’s assurance and knows that it receives exactly what it asks.
When we don’t receive what we’ve asked for, we may not need more prayer—we may just need more praise. When we know the answer is on the way, we should praise God for what we’ve received, even if we haven’t seen it yet.
Sometimes, faith needs to grow through persistent prayer. Elijah knew God would send rain, but he still had to pray seven times. Faith and patience go hand in hand. Faith says, “I’ve received it.” Patience waits until the blessing is visible.
“Believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.” The key word is believe. Between the promise in heaven and its manifestation on earth, believing is the bridge. Praise and prayer are the link. And don’t forget—Jesus Himself said this.
Faith should define what we hope for. God’s Word is a seed; if we hold onto it, it will take root and bear fruit. “All things whatsoever you pray and ask for” are meant to be brought before God. The faith that asks is fed by prayer, and even more, grows through prayer. As we pray, we test our motives, surrender our desires, and grow in confidence. The Spirit helps us discern whether we’re asking rightly. Even when our faith is weak, God invites us to keep praying. Persevering prayer strengthens faith.
“Believe that you receive them.” That’s often misunderstood. It doesn’t mean you’ll see it right away. It means you accept it in prayer just as you accept Christ—by faith. It’s a spiritual action. When you ask God for something according to His Word, you believe it’s already yours. You thank Him as if you’ve already received it.
“And you shall have them.” The gift you held by faith becomes your experience. Once you know you’ve been heard, you don’t need to keep asking. You praise instead.
When we don’t receive what we ask for in faith, we should feel ashamed that we made so little use of the privilege. Maybe our faith is too weak to grasp what’s within reach. But there is hope: Jesus, who brought us this message from the Father, also lived by it. The disciples were amazed at what He did to the fig tree, and Jesus told them they could do the same—even move mountains.
Jesus is our life. He gives us everything He taught. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). The faith He gives is for every child of the Father. It’s within reach of anyone who is childlike, surrendered to the Father’s will and trusting in His Word and power.
So be encouraged! This word comes from Jesus, our Brother and God’s Son. Let’s respond by saying:
“Yes, blessed Lord, we do believe Your Word that we receive whatever we ask.”
Closing Prayer
Lord, teach us to pray.
Blessed Lord, the Father sent You to show us the depth of His love and all the treasures He wants to give. You’ve given us overwhelming promises about the freedom we have in prayer. But we confess—our hearts have accepted so little of it. It’s felt too great for us to believe.
Teach us to take, keep, and use Your powerful Word: “All things whatsoever you pray and ask for, believe that you receive them.” Jesus, our faith must be rooted in You. Your work has freed us from sin and opened the way to the Father. Your love draws us into full fellowship with the Father’s glory and power.
Your Spirit keeps pulling us into deeper faith. We believe that through Your teaching, we will learn to pray in faith. You’ll train us to pray so that we will truly believe we have received what we ask. Teach us to trust, love, and live in You. Through You, may all our prayers rise before the Father. May our souls rest in the assurance that we are heard.
Amen.
Attribution: Adapted from With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray. Public Domain. Modernized and formatted.