Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matthew 19:26 (NLT)
It’s difficult for people to grasp the concept that “everything is possible” because our knowledge of the laws of nature and physics limit the concept of possibility. However, the Bible tells us many times that everything is possible…with God. In this verse, Jesus was explaining to the disciples that rich people can’t buy their way into Heaven. With God’s help, though, everyone can receive eternal life.
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “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. 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.” Mark 11:22-25 (NLT)
The example of throwing a mountain into the sea was impossible to imagine, but Jesus used it to demonstrate the power of heartfelt prayer for the fruitfulness of God’s kingdom. BUT. Don’t you just love that word? BUT…there’s always a catch.
Certain conditions need to be present for God to answer our prayers. You must have faith in God. You cannot hold a grudge against anyone. The request cannot be selfish in nature, but only for the good of God’s Kingdom. Remember to pray for God’s will. If our will lines up with God’s will, the request will be granted. Jesus prayed this way in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Father…. everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.” Mark 14:36 (NLT) God could have granted Jesus’ request to end the suffering, but it was not God’s will.
How do you pray? Have you ever had prayers you thought were not answered? There is nothing wrong with asking for things that are not humanly possible. We just need to be aware what we are asking for and if it is the will of God to grant our prayer request. Many times, I have prayed for something and God answered in ways that were completely different than I had anticipated. When I thought back on the experience, I could see He was looking out for me more than I was aware. He took care of my needs instead of my desires, and I was much better off because of His intervention.
God has the ability to make anything possible because he has such an expansive and imaginative mind. We cannot even conceive of all He can do. We need to broaden our imagination, our faith in God, our ability to forgive others and our desire for God’s will. If we do this, Everything is Possible!
