Trusting God in Prayer

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. – Mark 11:22-24 (NIV)

You may have never prayed for a mountain to be tossed into the sea, but I’m sure you have prayed for lots of other things — healing, relationships, finances, and countless other needs. Was your prayer answered in the way you expected? Viewing today’s passage in the light of our life experiences may lead us to ponder what these verses really mean.

Jesus begins with a simple but profound command: “Have faith in God.” Not faith in outcomes, not faith in our own certainty, but faith in God — God’s character, God’s wisdom, God’s timing, and God’s purposes. 

When Jesus speaks of mountains being moved, He is not giving us a technique for getting what we want. He is inviting us into a posture of trust so deep that we can pray boldly without fear, and surrender honestly without despair. Faith, in this passage, is not the power to control God’s response; it is the confidence that God is already responding, already acting, already working for good even before we see the result.

When Jesus says, “believe that you have received it,” He is not asking us to pretend certainty about the specific thing we asked for. Instead, He is teaching us to trust that God is already at work — that our prayer has been heard, that God’s answer is already unfolding, and that His answer will always be rooted in love and aligned with His will. Sometimes that answer matches our request. 

Sometimes God’s work in us reshapes what we long for. Sometimes it leads us down a path we never expected. But faith allows us to ask boldly and rest peacefully, trusting that God’s action is not limited to our imagination.

So how do we pray when we are unsure what to ask for? We begin by naming our hope honestly before God. We hold that hope with open hands. And we trust that God’s response — whatever form it takes — will be good, will be wise, and will draw us deeper into His purposes. Prayer becomes less about securing a particular outcome and more about joining the work God is already doing in our lives. 

In this way, faith does move mountains — not always the mountains out there, but often the emotional mountains that weigh on the heart: fear, doubt, impatience, and the belief that we must carry everything alone. When we pray with trust, those mountains begin to shift, and we discover that God has been working all along — quietly, faithfully, lovingly. 

God, we bring our hopes and needs before You with an open heart. We trust that You are already working in ways beyond our understanding. Shape our desires so they align with Your will, and give us the faith to rest in Your wisdom. Help us to pray boldly and to trust deeply, knowing that Your love is always at work. Amen.

Grace & Peace, Pastor Tim