Saturday after the Eighth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on July 27, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 21:18-22 (NKJV)
21:18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”
21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Devotion
“And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Now here is a verse that false prophets have abused to create no small amount of mischief! They say, “Name it and claim it! Ask God for whatever you want, and God will give it to you if you are believing ‘hard’ enough.” It’s obviously wrong, and the error lies in the misunderstanding of “believing.” There are some things we do not ask for if we are asking while “believing,” i.e., asking faithfully. We gladly pray, “Thy will be done,” concerning uncertain matters, for ultimately God’s will is what the “believing” one really wants.
But having said that, there is the opposite danger that we would dismiss our Lord’s promise entirely! Do not do that. Our Lord has made us a great promise. He has entrusted us with praying. And He has further promised that, when we pray faithful prayers, we are heard by God the Father. The Maker of heaven and earth actually listens to us! Therefore, let us boldly approach the throne of grace, laying our petitions before God and trusting Him to answer us wisely, graciously, and lovingly, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Collect: Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the Spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do anything that is good without Thee, may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
