Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt

[Carbon]

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
20When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”


What do you think Jesus meant? by, " “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” ?

Does this mean that if we have enough faith, we will receive whatever we ask? How so? How does this work?

Thoughts?

 

[makesends]

It might be worthwhile to do

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
20When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”


What do you think Jesus meant? by, " “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” ?

Does this mean that if we have enough faith, we will receive whatever we ask? How so? How does this work?

Thoughts?

It might be worth doing a good study on just what this faith is that he refers to, here. I'm pretty sure that we would agree, for example, that having 'enough' faith does not finally operate the vending machine of whatever we want, nor what we think we need, nor even what we think God wants of us. "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, that you may spend it in your pleasures."

My personal opinion is that this is referring to the same faith by which we are saved. It is not a matter of ginning up enough of it, or, by strength of will, forcing doubt away, nor anything else WE can do, but a matter of where is the source of it. OUR will follows, does not cause, the validity of the faith that is engendered by God himself, within us. It is not the size of it, but the 'ontology' of it, being entirely valid and strong because of who made it, that renders its ability to do.

If WE are the source, it is useless. Worse, it approaches divination—trying to make something ethereal, metaphysical, happen by temporal means—or worse, trying to make something physical happen by dabbling in metaphysical methods we don't understand. Thank God for his mercy and protection. We are idiots, but he knows we are just children.

 

[fastfredy0]

I think the "fig tree" reference does not give all the prerequisites to getting affirmative responses to pray ..

John 14:12 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in My name as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name [as My representative], I will do it.

Besides faith, we need to ask for things that God desires.

A good example of such a prayer is Christ’s in the garden where He prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). If you ask with this stipulation, your prayer will always be done.

 

[QVQ]

removed by QVQ

 

[JesusFan]

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
20When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”


What do you think Jesus meant? by, " “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” ?

Does this mean that if we have enough faith, we will receive whatever we ask? How so? How does this work?

Thoughts?

Think His main point was that its not the amount of faith one has, but what their faith is being placed in