E – Expect to succeed
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Mark 11:24
Sometimes being a parent is no fun. Do we really have to come down hard on our children even in the little things? Kid gets a 100 on a test but forgets their binder for a class and gets a “check mark” thus just “satisfactory” on conduct instead of “good.” Does that mean no Xbox for a week? Ah, the slippery slope of parenting, isn’t it grand?
Starting Middle School is tough. Kids have got to learn to manage their own business. Mommy and Daddy and their Elementary teacher can’t follow them around reminding them of everything. The kids have to own it. After explaining this several times, all I get are blank stares and fretful twitches. The kids fear failing in the eyes of their teachers, peers, siblings, and parents. However, if they concentrate on trying not to fail or fear it, they will fail. The cliché is “self fulfilling prophesy.”
The Apostle Peter never personally wrote one of the four Gospels. He had help and his name was John Mark. We first hear of John Mark in Acts 12:12, “So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.” He later had a falling out with Paul when he deserted him and Barnabas to go back to Jerusalem in Acts 13:13, “Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.” Paul must have been really upset because he denied Barnabas’ request to bring Mark along on the next missionary journey. But near the end of Paul’s life, John Mark seemed to regain Paul’s favor in 2 Timothy 4:11, “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.” The Gospel of Mark was written by John Mark with Peter near the end of his life. The desired audience of the book is gentiles specifically Romans.
Our passage tonight takes place after the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and the clearing of the temple. Earlier, Jesus had cursed a fig tree the bared no fruit. Let’s read Mark 11:12-14 and 11:20-24.
12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”
And His disciples heard it.
20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 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. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
The withered, dried up fig tree is a vivid example of the judgment for unbelievers that is still to come. At the time, the fig tree full of leaves with no fruit could be an example of Israel. The tree should have fruit but it doesn’t. However, the main theme of this passage is faith in God with prayer. Jesus simply says if you believe your prayer will be answered, it will be answered. This passage is very similar to Matthew 7:7-12.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
So, if I pray to win the lottery tonight and I believe that God will provide me the winning lottery ticket, am I assured to win? Do I claim it right now? It depends. It depends on God’s plan. Look, when we pray, we need to be aligned with God’s will for our lives. If we are, then it will happen. Now, God will answer all prayers. However, His answers may not be the one we want, but it will be the answer we need. And sometimes, the answer involves being patient and wait on God’s timing.
God is also a “glass half full” God. Believe in our passage is the Greek word, pisteuó, which is have faith in, trust in, believe, affirm, have confidence, persuading oneself or being persuaded by the Lord. “Receive” is lambanó - get, take, to lay hold by aggressively (actively) accepting what is available (offered).
Now, let’s re-examine our passage. Have faith in God! Pray and have faith in, trust in, have confidence, being persuaded by the Lord that you will lay hold by aggressively accepting what you prayed for. Therefore, prayfully “Expect to Succeed” in whatever you ask for in God’s will.
Challenge your children to expect to succeed in everything they do. Don’t let them fear failure or try to avoid it. If they do, they’ll be that football team that looses in the fourth quarter because they were playing not to lose. Play to win people. Expect to succeed for God!
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