Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” But if you refuse to forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins. ~Mark 11:22-26 [NLT]
I spoke to the mountain, but it didn’t move
I know my faith was in full effect, but I didn’t know what else to do
So, I spoke again with authority and my words didn’t have impact
And when I tried again, my words seemed to just bounce back
So, I checked my faith, you know beyond just the surface
And I spoke with boldness, confidence, and with purpose
I checked my “speak life” list and it all panned out
Yet, here I was, pitifully losing this bout
Have faith in God, this one is easy
I have known about God for years, so this step was breezy
Having faith in God was all that I had
When times got hard, difficult, and downright bad
I spoke to the mountain, but nothing happened
It wasn’t lifted up, nor thrown into the sea, it seemed securely fastened
So, I came back harder, pulling faith from my toes
But that mountain didn’t budge, it didn’t shift, actually, it seemed to grow
The next step was to see if I really believed
And I felt I did, but perhaps my heart had been deceived?
Was there some doubt lurking around in there?
Was this mountain just the beginning of my despair?
I took inventory again for my heart and my faith
And I looked square in the eyes that God gave me on my face
I didn’t see any unbelief, no doubt, nor any suspicion
Which meant it wasn’t my faith, but instead, God causing a shifting
I thought my mission was clear, and the plan was set
But God had a greater plan that was a sure thing, and not an off the cuff bet
It seemed my desires were not aligned with the Lord
So, all the faith I had, was no match for not being on one accord
Apparently, there were some additional things I forgot to check off the list
And while belief and solid faith are important and should not be dismissed
They must be in addition to alignment with God’s will, purpose, and plan
So, moving forward will be a steady, stable path with endurance to stand
But why not just move forward with faith alone?
Why does God call us into His holy, righteous, and perfect zone?
Because moving according to God and His perfect will
Means having a pure heart that is free from negativity that is intentional
But why not just move forward with faith and a pure heart
Why does God not move on our behalf even when we feel we do our part
Because grudges are breeding grounds for negativity, animosity, and even anger
And God is not going to fight through all of that unnecessary clamor
But why not reap the blessings based on really believing that my words have power
Because it is God’s strength and authority alone that results in the enemy having to cower
Because even in the “wait” or in the “no” there is growth that can occur
That will yield astounding results that cannot be deterred
But why not get what we prayed for and the mountain is easily gone?
Because it is by God’s strength and power that we could even possibly go on.
Because unforgiveness needs to be addressed at the root
Before it brings in anger and rage and they start to bear more negative, ungodly fruit
But why is it some things we speak come to pass while others do not?
Especially when we follow the checklist just like we’ve been taught
Faith over unbelief is a huge part of the equation
However, a pure heart is a God-win for every occasion
But why not? A good question that typically has just a few reasons
With the biggest of all being a lesson to be learned in the current season
But why not even when the checklist is complete
Because relationship with God cannot be contained to a checklist in a worksheet
But why? What then, is the purpose of speaking life and having faith to believe?
Because God wants true relationship with Him for you to know that you will receive.
Prayer and God’s word are major in the relationship building process with the Lord
As for the why not; that could be unbelief, misalignment, or a lesson’s reward
Check your why. Is your faith unwavering? Is your heart free from unforgiveness, anger, bitterness? Did you confirm Godly alignment with your request? If the answer to these questions is yes, then hold on for the lesson in the process.
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