“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
My Notes
What Does Mark 11:24 Mean?
Jesus teaches about the power of faith in prayer. The instruction is bold: when you pray, believe that you receive what you ask for — present tense, at the moment of asking — and you will have it.
The tense is important. "Believe that ye receive them" is aorist in Greek — it describes the act of believing at the moment of prayer as a completed action. The having comes later. The believing comes now.
This is not a blank check for wish fulfillment. The preceding verse (v.23) and the broader context of Jesus' teaching on prayer always involve alignment with God's will. The prayer of faith operates within a relationship, not as a vending machine.
Jesus has just cursed a fig tree that withered, and the disciples are amazed. He uses the moment to teach about faith. The point isn't that you can destroy trees with a thought. It's that real faith — the kind that expects God to act — moves things that look permanent.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What would change in your prayer life if you genuinely believed you would receive what you asked for?
- 2.How do you hold together bold, expectant prayer with submission to God's will?
- 3.Is there something you've stopped praying for because you've given up expecting an answer?
- 4.What's the difference between faith-filled prayer and wishful thinking?
Devotional
Believe that ye receive them. Present tense. Not after you see the answer. Before.
That's a very specific kind of faith. It's the kind that acts as though the answer is already in hand before any evidence shows up. Not pretending. Trusting. There's a difference.
Most of us pray with an asterisk: "God, please do this... but I understand if you don't." And there's humility in that. But Jesus is describing a different posture — one that approaches prayer with expectation, not as a formality but as a genuine encounter with a God who actually does things.
This doesn't mean every prayer gets the answer you want. Jesus himself prayed in Gethsemane and the cup wasn't removed. But the posture of belief — the willingness to bring your request with genuine expectation — that's what Jesus is inviting.
What would your prayer life look like if you actually believed something would happen when you prayed? Not guaranteed wish-granting, but genuine conversation with a God who responds?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And when ye stand praying,.... Are about to engage in that work, or are engaged in it, performing it in such a posture;…
See this passage explained in the notes at Mat 21:18-22. Mar 11:11 Into the temple - Not into the edifice properly…
Here is, I. Christ's cursing the fruitless fig-tree. He had a convenient resting-place at Bethany, and therefore thither…
What things soever ye desire, when ye pray Because Prayeris the very language of Faith, He passes on to speak concerning…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture