Jesus says in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say unto you, ‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.‘” Yet, no one has ever been observe getting everything they ask God in their prayers. So, my daughter said this must not be completely literal, since Jesus (God; His Word) never lies. She then asked me what I thought it did mean.
The Context of the Passage
The Mark 11:20-26 paragraph is about fruitlessness, and Jesus caused the fruitless fig tree to wither. Mark 11:22 says to “have faith in God.” So, many believe the context is about praying for fruit in your life, which only comes by faith (abiding in Christ, cf. John 15). This is specifically seen in the prayer promise of Jesus in John 15:7, “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” You are in the center of God‘s will, when you are abiding in Christ, and Christ’s Words are abiding in you. So, God will always grant this miraculous prayer request. as God wants all believers to be fruitful. I agree with this.
Some Main Views
Many commentators say that mountain “be removed“ was a popular Jewish figure of speech in that day. This figure of speech stood for any insurmountable problem. So, they interpret Jesus was saying that when we pray in faith, God can overcome any obstacle. So, these commentators maintain this is non-literal, which is what my daughter suggested as a possible explanation. Jesus follows up in Mark 11:25 talking about solving some of the toughest spiritual problems, like forgiving people that sin against us. Then in Mark 11:26, He tells them if they have sin (unforgiveness), God will not answer their prayers (or forgive their sins). So, I also believe this is true.
Other commentators think He was just granting the disciples (whom He gave miraculous power to, cf. Luke 10:1-22), this promise (but not all believers). This is interesting, and Jesus clearly did give them Apostolic power (to vindicate them, the Scripture, the gospel, and the founding of the early NT church (transitioning away from Judaism to Christianity). This was not only to the 12, but to 70 disciples, and more in the early NT church.
And of course, Pentecostal and Charismatic believers often claim all believers (if they just have enough faith), can do any miracle and get any prayer answered. Some cite Mark 11:22, “have faith in God,” noting that grammatically in this verse, the word God (transliterated as “Theou”) is the objective genitive. So, rather than translate it “have faith in God” (where God is clearly the object of faith as the KJV does), they say it should be “have the faith of God,” or “have God’s faith.” But the reason it was not translated this way, is it is not possessive. I do believe all Christians would see many more prayers answered if we had more faith and prayed more in faith. However, I do not believe most Christian prayers are spiritually focused, fruitfully focused, in the Spirit, in Jesus’ name, or in God’s will–and thus, do not all get fulfilled. God is the wisest/best person, so only when our prayers have our will aligned with Him and His will, does He fulfill them. I do believe every believer, indwelt, sealed, and fully yielding to the Holy Spirit (completely confessed up and submitting to the Lordship of Christ), and praying completely in faith (clearly known when led by the Holy Spirit or in perfect alignment with God’s Word) will align with the will of God–and thus, will have their prayer fulfilled, whether miraculously or not.
One thing that helps me is the Greek word transliterated “aiteo.” The KJV translates it as “desire.” It is often translated as “ask.” It can also mean “require.” So, that makes sense that God would always give us our needs or the things we require when we ask in faith (cf., Php. 4:19).
Mat. 18:15-20 discusses spiritual matters, church discipline, and agreeing with brothers and sisters. There, Jesus promises you will have what you ask for, since “there am I in the midst.” Mat. 18:21-35 contextually regards the spiritual matter of forgiveness, demonstrating your faith (that you truly are a believer). John 14:13-14; 16:23-26 regards, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” So, asking God in faith (something you believe is consistent with Jesus, His authority, and will), Jesus will do it. John 15:7 says, “If ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” This shows that if you are walking in the Spirit (in Christ), and know and have God’s Word in your heart, your prayers will be (in God’s will and) always answered/fulfilled. Of course, the Lord’s prayer (Luke 11:1-4) teaches us to pray “Thy will be done.” So, we know that if we pray for anything in God’s will, He will provide it.
Conclusion
So, let’s pray big spiritual prayers, in faith, in Jesus’ name and authority, filled with God’s Word, and in God’s Will. When we do, we know God will not only answer (as He does all prayer), but will fulfill all that we require.