Mark 11:22–24 (NKJV) So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Did you know there are certain areas in our lives where God wants us to act rather than ask Him to do it through prayer? This passage reveals what Jesus requires of us when we pray the prayer of faith. It is a “hard saying” many of us struggle with because we use our finite minds to gauge what is possible and use reason to justify why we think something is impossible.
Verse 23 says, “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says”. At first, it may sound prideful to speak to our obstacles this way. Indeed, there seems to be a thin line between faith and pride in such a situation, but acknowledging what Scripture requires of us and trusting that it is done once we have spoken is actually an act of humility.
Prayer is also a way for us to exercise our rights as children of the living God. Although God is sovereign, He has given us the right to choose and to exercise our faith in Him. God has vested us with His authority and given us the use of Jesus’ name. He wants us to use them in exercising our faith by denying the devil’s work in our lives; He wants us to speak according to the promises He has given us. Wisdom is knowing how to apply different Scriptures to different areas of our lives, and learning how to rightly divide the Word.
If you believe certain experts can solve your problems, that means you hold them in high regard; the question is, “Do you hold God in such high regard that you believe nothing is impossible for Him?”
We must develop our faith in God. However, we must not have faith in our faith. Instead, we must have faith in God. That is why Jesus said in verse 22: “Have faith in God.”
Don’t limit God with your finite mind by believing He can or cannot do something, and don’t elevate reasoning above the supernatural. Instead, renew your mind about God’s power and accept the Bible’s claim about what God can do. God is indeed an omnipotent God.
Reflection: Have you limited God’s power through human reasoning or what you can’t understand? How is the Holy Spirit challenging you to expand your view of God?
Sermon Series: The Prayer of Faith
不要用你有限的心思限制神！
马可福音 11:22-24 耶稣回答说：“你们当信服神。我实在告诉你们：无论何人对这座山说：‘你挪开此地，投在海里！’他若心里不疑惑，只信他所说的必成，就必给他成了。所以我告诉你们，凡你们祷告祈求的，无论是什么，只要信是得着的，就必得着。”
你知道吗，在我们生命中的某些领域，神要我们付诸行动，而不是通过祷告求祂来做？这段经文揭示了当我们带着信心祷告时，耶稣对我们的要求。这是一个我们许多人都感到挣扎的“难懂之言”，因为我们用自己有限的心思去衡量什么是可能的，并用理性来辩解为什么我们认为某事是不可能的。
第23节说：“无论何人对这座山说：‘你挪开此地，投在海里！’他若心里不疑惑，只信他所说的必成，就必给他成了。” 乍听之下，这样对我们的阻碍说话似乎显得很骄傲。确实，在这样的情况下，信心与骄傲之间似乎只有一线之隔，但承认圣经对我们的要求，并坚信一旦我们宣告，事就成了，这其实是一种谦卑的行为。
祷告也是我们行使作为永生神儿女权利的一种方式。虽然神是至高无上的，但祂赋予了我们选择的权利，以及对祂行使信心的权利。神已经赋予了我们祂的权柄，并让我们能使用耶稣的名。祂要我们在行使信心时使用它们，否定魔鬼在我们生命中的工作；祂要我们根据祂赐给我们的应许来宣告。智慧就是知道如何将不同的经文应用到我们生活的不同领域，并学会如何按着正意分解真理的道。
如果你相信某些专家能解决你的问题，这意味着你非常看重他们；问题是：“你是否同样如此看重神，以至于相信在祂没有难成的事？”
我们必须培养对神的信心。然而，我们绝不能对我们的“信心”产生信心。相反，我们必须对神产生信心。这就是为什么耶稣在第22节中说：“你们当信服神。”
不要用你有限的心思来限制神，以为祂能做或不能做某事，也不要将理智抬高到超自然之上。相反，要在神的大能上更新你的心思，并接纳圣经关于神所能行之事的所有宣告。神确实是一位全能的神。
默想： 你是否曾通过人类的理性或你无法理解的事物限制了神的大能？圣灵正在如何挑战你，去扩大你对神的视野？
讲章系列：信心之祷