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Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Matthew 21:21-22 "...I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." 

Larry and I enjoy going to the Smokey Mountains on vacation from time to time. We love the peacefulness and quiet of being surrounded by nature and God's creation. I look at those mountains and, even though they are small in comparison to many ranges, they look enormous to me - especially standing on the top of one looking down! To think that I might be able to speak and one of those mountains and it would move is an incomprehensible thought to me.


Overlook from Blue Ridge Parkway. Smokey's in the background.
In the scripture in Matthew, Jesus was giving us an indication of God's power - not ours. This is not the power of positive thinking at work. This is whether or not you believe God has the power to do something - or not. And just because He can, doesn't mean He will. This is not our ticket to health and wealth, either.

Still, to think that we have the power of the God of the universe at our fingertips is a pretty amazing concept. So what is the secret to getting our prayers answered?
  • Belief. We have to believe in Him and His ability to do anything. So often we say we do not doubt God, but find ourselves so amazed when He answers our prayer.
  • Motive. We cannot come with selfish motives. The motive behind our prayers must always be His glory and the expansion of His Kingdom, not our personal desires.
  • Conscience. In Mark 11:22-24 the same story is told with a little addendum...when you pray make sure you have forgiven anyone you hold a grudge against. In my entry on the 18th, I posted about forgiveness. When we harbor ill will toward someone in our hearts, it hinders our prayers.
When the desires of His heart become the desires of our hearts, mountains will move and we will see miracles. God wants to do God-sized things in our lives. He wants show Himself through us in ways that could only be attributed to Him. He wants to get the glory and the credit and if we will just step back and pray and let Him work there is no telling what He will do! He withered a fig tree...healed the sick...raised the dead...rose from the dead. Seems to me with a right attitude and the faith of a mustard seed, we might just be in for a wild ride!

My son, Jared and I with granddaughter, Jaden, at Pigeon Forge, TN.


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