A Lesson From The Fig Tree And How I Approach Prayer
A Lesson From The Fig Tree
How Do I Approach Prayer?
Take a lesson from the Fig Tree
Mark 11.12-14, 20-25 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
The lesson starts in the morning of their going up to Jerusalem. We see that Jesus approached a fig tree. Now we know that Jesus was not unfamiliar with the fruit and seasons of fruit in his region. He may have mentioned something about hunger but did it really have anything to do with the tree. As always he wants to show the disciples something more and over the next few days we see this transpire. He will be teaching them all about protocol in the temple, faith, authority, and the power of God being resident within.
They return the next day and the tree is withered. But not ordinarily withered; it started with the roots. How did they know this? A Fig trees root system is partially exposed and running on top of the ground. Jesus says, “Have faith in God.”
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered.” I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Mk.11.22-25
What ever you ask in prayer “BELIEVE”. Believe in what? Our ability to pray and the words coming out of our mouth? our personal prayer formula? our righteous attitude, saintly lifestyle and pious upstanding character? No he says, “HAVE FAITH IN GOD!” Why this statement after what he has just shown them?
There was no fruit, no faith in Jerusalem and everything that the temple stood for has disintegrated to nothing. He shows an extreme outburst of passion and anger. “My house shall be a house of prayer”.Matt.21.13, Mk11.17, Lk19.46
Now that house of prayer (the temple) has been moved from a building of stone and mortar to a body of flesh, soul and spirit. 1Cor.6.19 (you are not your own.)
Which is more difficult and requires more faith… to speak to the fig tree and see it cursed and wither from the roots, or to speak to the mountain and see it moved?
They are both equally the very same, and both seem almost impossible unless God is in it? The amount of faith needed is as a mustard seed in size. Jesus uses a measurement to represent faith… do we know why?
We have all heard endless scenarios about mountain moving until we are fed up to the eyeballs and have ground our faith to nothingness over feeling guilty and useless, and our mind says that we will never get it and never have enough faith to make a leaf fall to the ground; never mind the whole tree withering; and the mountain… well that is just out of this world! Exactly; It is out of this world because everything that is happening is happening from heavens perspective and not earths. Who designed the fig tree and put the mountains in place? Was it not God? Did Jesus say to have faith in our faith? Was he talking about seed faith or faith as a seed? What is the difference?
No he said, “Have faith in God.” Does God need our faith to do anything? (I’m not talking about unbelief) Did Jesus need the disciple’s faith to help wither the fig tree? So what’s the point? There is always a point, a test, a teaching, a furtherance of stretching us to see the bigger picture. Is it about the tree and the mountain in the reality of it all? Or is it about something much bigger and more important for them and us to grasp and see? Perhaps it is just all about God and not really about us? Perhaps our being present to witness an event might help our faith to rise to the occasion, but would it really? And if so why does it dwindle so quickly? Think about it. The disciples were present for every single miraculous event that would bend even the most sophisticated of minds and they totally missed it at every intersection of heaven meeting earth of Kingdom against kingdom. They could not rise above the mind-set of their own preconceived ideas of how things are to function within the Kingdom of God amongst them and who Jesus really was. Peter may have spoken it once about Jesus divinity (Matt.16.17) but he still did not know in the farthest depths of his soul, he could not have told you what was going on? We are no different, for if we were our prayer lives would take on dynamic changes. Why?
Maybe we are to be looking through the eyes of heaven via manifestation in our spirit and not from the eyes of a condemning lie about who we think we are in Christ, because everything in our soul will rise up and fight against the Spirit. The soul filled lifestyle is at enmity against God and we are powerless to change it. Every time we try, we build a ladder of wood hay and stubble that is not “born from above” but is earthly. Jesus every action came how and from where? By faith in himself and his own divinity, as being equal with God? (Jn.10.36-38) Because; he was given authority over all aspects of his earthly reign whilst he walked the earth? (Matt.28.18) Because; he was born to do all these things and it was prophesied about him? Because; his name is Emanuel, God with us? (Is.7.14, Matt.1.23) No because… “Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” John 5.19
The Son CAN DO NOTHING BY HIMSELF! If he can do nothing and he was God in the flesh, what are we trying to do? No wonder we keep going around and around this whole flippin’ argument over our faith.
FAITH AND DOUBT
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matt.17.20
Nothing will be impossible for you… Jesus saying, “I tell you the truth…”
If the truth is in us? And who is that truth that is in us? None other than Holy Spirit… then He The Truth will do what for us? Set us free! From what? Doubt! Fear! Why? Because there is no doubt in him, and His perfect love casts out fear. So what do we need; More of Holy Spirit? I think so… give me more!
So is it about the fig tree, the mountain, how much we pray, how pious and devoted we are? No it seems that it is how we each see God and the size of our faith is only in conjunction to how big God is and in our temple of prayer and the authority and government of God and its effect upon our life.
I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to the mountain, ‘go throw yourself into the sea’, and it will be done. If you believe you will receive whatever you ask in prayer. Matt.21.21-23
Faith and the Centurion
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering." Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him." The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth,I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. Matt.8.5-10
What did the Centurion know that no one else seemed to understand? AUTHORITY, STRUCTURE, GOVERNMENT, PROCESS
We come back to the statement about truth from Jesus and truth about faith and faith will see to the action of the Father, because we are asking… not from ourselves but from or through Jesus and IN Holy Spirit. So how do we get out of and away from ourselves and soul attitudes and into Holy Spirit?
IN> Noun = Access, permission
Synonyms = Connection, course, key, path, way
We have permission from God, because Holy Spirit is IN us and we NEED to give him permission to work his work IN us. He has the keys to show us the way, truth, and life. Jn.16.13-15
IN> Verb = Belong, to be affiliated with.
Synonyms = Contained IN, included as one of the family, to be one with and therefore owe allegiance to. We enter God’s family and Holy Spirit has allegiance to us.
IN> Noun = influence with power and authority.
Synonyms = Character, command, direction to be effective with supremacy and weight.
We have an influential advisor who has power and authority to command our lives in the direction of effectiveness.
More Lessons From The Fig Tree
Why withered from the root?
There existed a number of root causes in Israel and there was no fruit, only leaves and an outward appearance of righteousness. There was a thriving religious spirit and atmosphere of unbelief and unwillingness of the religious mindset to turn from sin. The people were put into bondage and lost without anyone to lead them. There was much illness, demonic activity and complete moral degeneration.
Faith
In what does my faith reside?
Our Fig Tree
The question for us to ask ourselves is this; am I willing to allow Holy Spirit into all the deep recesses of my soul and root out every bit of unbelief, my religious spirit, my unrepentant heart, my unfruitfulness, my hypocritical pretence, performance lies, bondage, illness and moral degeneration? Does he FILL my temple?
DON’T BE LIKE (Laws of the Spirit)
And when you pray do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Matt.6.7
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Mk.11.22-25
And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: " 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.' " Mark 11.17 (Also Matt.21.13, Lk.19.46)
“However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Lk.18.8b
Ps.2.7 Is the mention of Jesus as the Son and God as his Father.
Government The Lord Jesus has all power both in heaven and in earth, and is Head over all things to the church, notwithstanding the restless endeavors of his enemies. Christ's throne is set up in his church,that is, in the hearts of all believers. Matthew Henry Commentary Ps.2.7-9
The centurion understood the Kingdom principles at work in Jesus and that is why Jesus praised him for his GREAT faith.
I want my prayer life to be on a plane of understanding as was this centurion. It’s not about the mountain or the fig tree; it’s all about my faith in God, all about my Jerusalem and his temple…ME. I want my faith in the Kingdom principles so ingrained in my spirit, that my soul or the heart of my character will be Jesus in me, fully persuaded that God can do anything with me and that truly, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
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