There is a passage in Mark 11 that is very well-known and often quoted to build up faith. It is where Jesus talks about if you have faith you can throw a mountain into a sea. I’m sure it’s been used at youth conferences and summer camps with a song that has amazing hand motions. There are probably t-shirts based on that passage that used to be sold at Lifeway (too soon?) that ripped off some outdoor company’s style.
It’s not a bad passage, in fact it is really encouraging. In Mark 11:22-24, Jesus says,
“Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”
This is an awesome passage. How cool is it that we can pray for anything and receive it. Sure there are some qualifiers (and there are definitely some things I struggle to not have doubts about) but it is amazing for prayer to have that power.
One of the coolest things about a dog is their ability to forgive. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t have to spray Nala (our Jack Russell Terrier) with the water bottle for doing something she shouldn’t be doing. There has also been many times we have let her water bowl get empty or accidentally kicked her because she decide the best route to take was between our feet. Yet no matter what, she never holds on to a grudge (she is currently laying on my legs as I type this). Sorry cat people, this is one of the reasons dogs are better.
If you aren’t sure what just happened hang on. How did we get from faith in prayer to dogs forgiving? Mark 11:25 will give us that answer.
“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
That verse is often left off when this passage is used. It kind of takes the feel-good mood right out of the passage, but I’m sure there are also people who are wondering why they haven’t seen any mountains tossed into the sea (I’ve definitely been there). Jesus tells us that we can pray and receive anything, but first forgive. Unforgiveness can block the things that I have faith for.
The past few weeks, I’ve been intentionally trying to spend more time in prayer. I’ll be honest, at no point did I start my prayers with forgiving people. I’m not sure it was even in the top five. This week I plan on changing that. I’m going to take Jesus at His word and start by forgiving people. I’m not one to hold a grudge, but there are definitely people in my life I could forgive (and forgive again and again). I’m excited to see what God will do through it.
until next time…