PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 21:18-22
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:22)
At first glance, Jesus seems to lose His temper when He curses this fig tree.
Yet I wonder, does He recognize that this is a permanently fruitless tree?
That it is sick or flawed, and hindering healthier trees from growing?
Perhaps Jesus is pruning, making room for more fruitful branches!
The disciples are more keen on the power to make things happen.
And Jesus seems to offer them this power, if they believe.
Jesus is not promoting the power of faith, or believing in ‘belief’.
To believe is to trust; we do not trust ourselves or our faith, we trust Jesus.
If you are confident in and committed to, Jesus and His mission, things will happen.
If you seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, all things will be given to you!
This is not a blank cheque to get whatever we want.
It is Jesus’s assurance that those who WANT to produce good fruit, WILL produce it!
As Jesus followers, our prayer is for God’s honour, kingdom and will.
Jesus is assuring us that if this is what we want, this is what we will get!
Lord Jesus, help me to be a fruitful branch, producing the good fruit of love, joy, peace, etc, for the sake of God’s honour, kingdom, righteousness. I believe in You and what You stand for. Please grant me this desire of my heart.