Matthew 21.22 promises whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive. This is one of those difficult passages of Scripture for Christians to understand and apply.

The promise from Jesus seems clear enough. The context supports the straight forward understanding of the promise.

Indeed, the context teaches an almost frivolous application of the promise – Jesus curses and thus withers a tree for not having fruit available to eat.

The lesson to the disciples and thus those who similarly follow Jesus is to have faith in God and believe His power is willing to be released through His people.

This challenge to ask and believe is a constant theme of Jesus and one never fully grasped by the disciples nor the Church. Certainly miracles are recorded by the disciples but not everything prayed for went according to the request.

We believe that unanswered prayer is the indication of God having a different plan but then why are we ignorant of His plan?

The challenge in prayer is the knowing of God and His will.

The Son spent hours daily with His Father in prayer, amazingly none of us do the same yet we expect or at least desire similar results to Jesus. This would be tantamount to desiring the body of a weight-lifter but never entering the gym.

Still many do pray and many do seek God only to have their prayers go unanswered or denied. In these circumstances we are challenged to press-on in our faith.

God is good, always; the Scriptures display His goodness on every page.

We are broken, unlike Jesus, and the enemy of God dwells among us using all of his resources to thwart the will and ways of God.

Prayer is hard work we mustn’t cease to engage but its goal is not so much answers but God Himself and His presence with us.