Prayer

 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:24 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.11.24.ESV

If we read this verse in isolation, we might think that it is a blank check to get whatever we want. 'What are tomorrow's winning lottery numbers' might be a popular prayer if that were the case! But if we read in context, we see there are conditions.

We need to ask according to the will of God. If we ask for something God doesn't will, it's not going to happen. So if we ask God to kill our rich uncle so we can inherit some of his wealth, God isn't likely to answer that prayer as we might like!

Even the very next verse makes clear that forgiveness isn't unconditionally given to the one who asks in faith. If we faithfully ask forgiveness for ourselves but refuse to give it to others, we won't receive forgiveness for ourselves. If we want mercy, we need to show it.

If we apply the next verse's principle to our verse, I think we get what Jesus means. It's not a blank check as such, but if we want God to be faithful to us, we have to have faith in Him. If believing is receiving, then unbelief means we lose out.

'Lord, we believe, but help our unbelief. Please in Your mercy be faithful to us, for the sake of our Saviour Jesus, in whose name we pray, amen'

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