Day 42: Jesus says prayer can move mountains
What’s the biggest prayer you’ve ever prayed? Maybe you prayed for someone you love who was sick to get well, or for help when you were scared, or for a friend to start following Jesus. Yesterday, we saw Jesus throwing traders out of the temple because He wanted it to be a house of prayer. Today, we’ll see how powerful Jesus says prayer is.
What does Jesus tell His disciples to do in verse 22?
What amazing claim does Jesus make in verse 23?
Jesus sometimes teaches via hyperbole (pronounced hy-PER-bo-lee), which means an extreme statement not intended to be taken literally. Jesus is giving an extreme example of prayer. It’s impossible for a human being to tell a mountain what to do and for the mountain to obey, just as it’s impossible for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle (Mark 10:25). But nothing is impossible for God (Mark 10:27)!
Do you think Jesus meant for His disciples to start commanding mountains to throw themselves into the sea?
How does Jesus’ extreme example give us encouragement to pray big prayers and trust God’s power to act?
What makes it hard for you to pray and trust God?
Sometimes God does not answer our prayers in the way we want because He has a better plan. For example, the apostle Paul prayed three times for God to take away his suffering, and God said no: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:9). We should trust God that He always knows what’s best for us, but we should also pray and believe He has the power to answer really big prayers!
What does Jesus tell His disciples they should do when they are praying in verse 25?
Why does He say they should forgive that other person (v. 25)?
Is there anyone in your life right now whom you need to forgive for something they have done to you? Write their name down.
We’re going to spend some extra time praying today!
Pray now for God’s help with the thing you’re most worried about at the moment. Trust God that He has the power to act and that He knows your need even better than you do.
Think of a time you prayed and God answered your prayer in a really direct way. Praise Him for His kindness.
If you’ve ever felt really disappointed by God not answering your prayers for something you desperately wanted, bring that to Jesus now. Tell Him how you feel and ask Him for help to know whether you should keep praying that prayer or whether you just need to trust Him that He knows what’s best, even when it makes no sense to us.
Ask God to help you forgive the person whose name you wrote down. Pray for God’s blessing on them, and if they are not a Christian, pray that they would start following Jesus and have all their sins forgiven by God.
Pray that God would help you to grow in your trust in Him and in your prayerfulness.