3 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Matthew 17:19-20 (CSB): “Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ ‘Because of your little faith,’ he told them. ‘For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’”
Reflecting on God’s Word
We know that faith is necessary for salvation (John 3:16). We cannot become a child of God unless we trust in Jesus. That much is abundantly clear in Scripture.
But so many Christians don’t adequately realize the necessity of a life of faith after the moment of salvation. The Bible says that “the righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). The Bible also says that “without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).
We give passages like these mental assent, but we fail to put them into practice. And nowhere does it show up more clearly than in our prayers. We go to the Lord in prayer with a need, we ask, and then don’t observe any tangible answer to our prayer. Why? It could be that we only asked but didn’t actually believe that the Lord would hear and answer. Simply put, our prayers will almost certainly not be answered if we don’t believe the Lord will answer them.
Mark 11:24 (CSB): “Therefore I tell you, everything you pray and ask for—believe that you have received it and it will be yours.”
How much do we need to believe? Not much, according to what Jesus said in our verses for today. Just “faith the size of a mustard seed.”
Does this mean we should expect to get anything and everything we want in prayer if we ask and believe we will receive it? Hardly! That sort of mindset is self-centered. If we are truly living for Jesus, we will only ask for those things that we believe He would have us ask for. And if the Lord has placed it upon our hearts to ask for something, shouldn’t we believe He will answer us?
Finally, I want us to notice that the verses I chose for today don’t primarily focus on prayer. The principle certainly applies to prayer. But Jesus was talking about how we are to live in faith every day, particularly when we are doing what He has told us to do. God does not want us to live in doubt and despair. He wants us to live in the confidence that comes from resting in Him and His provision.
Do you live by faith? Is your competency in God’s Word growing so that You know what He desires? Are you staying clean with the Lord by confessing and repenting of your sins? Are you consciously relying upon the Holy Spirit for guidance throughout your day? Then, live by faith! Trust in the Lord! Confidently rest in His provision!
Spend Time in Prayer
Lord Jesus, I realize that my ability to live by faith, trusting in You moment-by-moment, is directly tied to my ability to understand what You desire. Ultimately, Your Word is the clearest way I can determine what You want. So, help me continue spending time in my Bible and getting my Bible into me. Help me to understand even more what it means to listen to the Holy Spirit as He, among other things, brings Your Word to mind to guide me. I want to live by faith! I pray this in Your Name, Amen.
Going Deeper
If you want to go deeper, check out this article by Got Questions: “What does it mean to have mustard seed faith?”
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com).
Matt’s Musings 