Open Heaven 4 December
MEMORISE: They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever, Psalms 125:1
BIBLE READING: MARK 11:12-14 ; 20-24
12. And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13. And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
MARK 11:20-24
20. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
22. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Read yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here
At the opening of the story in todays Bible reading, the Lord Jesus saw a fig tree that, though blossoming, had no fruit. The Lord therefore decided to teach His disciples two major lessons from it.
The first is the danger of fruitlessness even when the grace of God is upon our lives. The fig was leafy and green a sign that it had potential to bear fruit, though it was not bearing any.
Thus, Jesus delivered judgment upon it immediately. The second lesson Jesus taught His disciples on that day is on faith, because He decreed that the fig tree should dry up and it came to pass immediately.
Jesus words in Mark 11:22 provide the foundation for our major lesson today. He said to His disciples Have faith in God. Whatever we desire as children of God, we should put it forward to the Lord in prayer and we shall receive it.
You may wonder then why He asked in Luke 18:8: “..Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” The above is where the challenge lies for many believers who are yet to receive answers to their requests from God.
The only way such people can get what they want is by exercising faith in God. Beloved, take note of the words of Jesus Christ in todays reading which says ..and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
It is one thing to pray, it is another thing to actually believe that God will do what we have asked for.
The story is told of a priest who called for prayers because there had been drought in the land. After the congregation had gathered for prayers, the priest looked around and asked Brethren, are you not ready to pray? The parishioners replied How do you mean? That is what we have come to do.
He asked again What have you come to do? And they chorused To pray for rain. Then he asked Where are your umbrellas and raincoats if indeed you believe God will answer your prayers? The parishioners faith was stirred up so they went to fetch their umbrellas and raincoats.
God honoured their faith and gave them rain. What a lesson! Beloved, you must have faith in God for Him to bless you.
PRAYER POINT: Increase my faith today, Lord I pray, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ZECHARIAH 1:1-21, ZECHARIAH 2:1-13, ZECHARIAH 3:1-10, ZECHARIAH 4:1-14, ZECHARIAH 5:1-11, ZECHARIAH 6:1-15, ZECHARIAH 7:1-14
Thank you for studying today’s Open Heaven – Show Your Faith in God – written by Pastor Enoch A.
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Open Heaven 4 December 2021
