Part Two: "The Powerful Potential of Our Prayers" (Mark 11:20-24)

We're talking about the power of our Lord's Word! When Jesus cursed that fig tree, He was allowing His disciples to see again as they'd seen many times before, that He walked among them as God in human flesh, with all of the power and authority of God! The power of the Lord's Word is on display with respect to the powerful potential of our prayers! As Christ followers, we are to understand and embrace that the power behind the success of our prayers is always found in Christ Jesus! He's the one who has all authority! Paul confirms this about Jesus with these words, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:15-16). Do you recall the story of how these same disciples, some time before this, attempted to cast an unclean spirit out of a young boy? (Mark 9:14-18). Recall that Jesus was apart from nine of His twelve disciples at the time, (three were with Him on the mountain of transfiguration) and they (the nine of them), were complete failures in their attempt! They thought that if they followed all the formulas, say all the right words, they could do the work of Christ in their own power! Do you recall what Jesus said to them? Mark records, "And He answered them and said, "O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!" (Mark 9:19). What is it that we must see with regard to our prayers? We must see that we can stand in front of a fig tree or any other tree and command it to wither and OUR words will not make it happen! We have no such power and our words have no such authority! Beware of the false teaching that claims our words have power to bring forth whatever is spoken! The power and authority is all of Him! What a vital thing this is to prayer! Our Lord is teaching them and us about prayer that's prayed in submission to His authority, purpose and will! This is what's meant by the phrase, "The powerful potential of our prayers." If we think that there's power in our words, we wind up praying "whatever" we desire and in the process, we become increasingly frustrated that our prayers are not answered! As a result, many simply stop praying altogether! This is not what Jesus expects from us. Jesus is inviting us to tap into the unlimited power of God through prayer. There's no greater resource available to Christ followers than that of prayer! Let's be encouraged and learn to pray the correct way! The correct way is to pray "according to His will!"