One unknown writer said, the following about faith and prayer. He said, ‘Faith dies through lack of prayer.’¹ The statement sounds right at first glance but is it? The truth is the statement is backward. Prayer does not make faith work. It’s the other way around. Faith makes prayer work. What is faith’s connection to prayer? We can learn valuable lessons about faith and prayer by looking at how Jesus spoke to the fig tree in Mark eleven.

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Just Who Is Jesus to You?

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Episode Resources

You can find more information on the subject of ‘Who Jesus Is’ by clicking on the links above.

1. Encountering Jesus in Your Everyday Life.
2. #S4-005: What to Do When Your Family Thinks Your Nuts about Jesus [Podcast] 
3. #S3-030: Do You Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus? [Podcast]
4. #S1-033: Three Things Jesus Did that You Can Do [Podcast]
5. #S1-020: What Happens When You Encounter Jesus? [Podcast]
6. #S5-010: Just Who Is Jesus to You? [Podcast]
7. #S5-011: The Zoe Life of God in the Person of Jesus [Podcast]
8. #S5-012: Seven Witnesses to the Mission of Jesus [Podcast]

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 42 years ago. He has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 38 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Podcast Notes

Different Kinds of Prayer

Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV) — 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

• Notice the words ‘all prayer’ in the front part of verse 18.
• ‘All prayer’ means all kinds of prayer.
• The TNIV reflects this in its translation.

Ephesians 6:18 (TNIV) — 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

• Pray on ‘all occasions’ with ‘all kinds’ of prayer.
• Different occasions require different kinds of prayer.
• One of the kinds of prayer a believer must excel at is praying about situations and needs that concern them.

Faith and Prayer: Jesus Curses A Fig Tree

Mark 11:12–14 (TNIV) — 12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

Jesus Humanity

• Jesus was hungry.
• You read that in verse twelve.
• This fact shows His humanity.
• Jesus was 100% God and 100% man.
• He wasn’t 50/50.
• In ability, He was a man.
• In identity, He was God.

God and Hunger

• Think about God and hunger for a moment.
• God, who sits on His Throne, doesn’t get hungry as you or I do.
• He doesn’t order up a veggie burger to go with His angel food cake.
• However, in His heart, God is ‘all-kinds’ of hungry.
• He is hungry to see people come into a knowledge of His son Jesus.
• God is hungry to bless humanity through His Word.
• He is hungry to have a ‘mega-billion member’ family.
• So, the Father is hungry in one sense and not in another.
• So the Father God’s Son, Jesus, walking in His earth suit walks up to a fig tree because he was hungry.

More Evidence of Jesus Humanity

• There is more evidence of Jesus humanity in this passage.
• The scripture says, ‘Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit.’
• Do you see His humanity in walking up to the tree TO SEE if there was any fruit on it?
• Why did He walk up to see?
• Didn’t He know there wasn’t any fruit on it?
• The answer to this question is no He didn’t.
• That’s why He went to the fig tree to see.
• We read right past many of these types of passages where it says, Jesus knew, Jesus perceived, Jesus understood in His heart.
• We assume that this ‘knowing’ is the God part of Jesus.
• It’s not; it’s the human part.
• Jesus moved in the gifts of the Spirit like you are supposed to move.
• His dependence was on the Father God just like yours should be.
• The lesson we learn here is that Jesus walked in all humanity with the Holy Spirit as His guide.

Jesus Dependence on the Holy Spirit Is Evident

• We read some of the accounts where His ‘knowing by the Spirit’ is showcased.
• For example, when He deals with the religious crowd.

Matthew 22:18 (NKJV) — 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?

• Jesus perceptive ability was from God instead of as God.
• His ‘knowing’ didn’t come because of His identity.
• He had no abilities as God.
• Jesus laid aside those abilities per Philippians two.
• No, Jesus received His ‘knowing’ or His perception direct from the Holy Spirit.
• This Holy Spirit interaction is a thrilling fact for you and I because it shows us what is possible.
• We have the same Holy Spirit Jesus had.
• The same Holy Ghost that came upon Jesus can come upon you.
• There aren’t two Holy Spirit’s, after all, only one.
• The Spirit of God invaded the earth in the second chapter of Acts.
• He hasn’t left.
• He didn’t come and go.

Jesus Talks to a Tree

• So, a hungry Jesus walks up to this fig tree and finds out that He is in the presence of a barren tree.
• So, what does He do?
• Does He walk away in disgust?
• No, He talks to it instead.
• Notice, how the gospel writer puts it.
• The ESV says, ‘He, meaning Jesus, said to it.’
• The KJV says ‘He answered it.
• Either way, Jesus spoke to a tree.
• And why not?
• The barren condition of the fig tree demanded a response from Jesus.
• Barrenness demands a response from you when you encounter it.
• So, here’s what I’m saying.
• The barren fig tree spoke to Jesus, and He answered it back.
• And, why wouldn’t that be right?
• You know it’s rude when someone speaks not to speak back.
• So when barrenness spoke, Jesus answered it.

Flexing Your Faith and Prayer Muscles

• Barrenness is one area where you can flex your prayer of faith muscles.
• Praying the prayer of faith is your answer to a barren situation that confronts you.

Flexing Your Faith and Prayer Muscles Against Sickness

• If you’re sick, your body is saying something to you.
• As a child of God, it is saying more to you than “I don’t feel well.”
• Sickness belongs to Satan’s realm.
• It doesn’t come from God.

Acts 10:38 (NKJV) — 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

• Sickness is an attack, an enemy attack pure and simple.
• It’s an attack on your body to slow down your work for God.
• It’s an attack against the Kingdom.
• But, it’s also a barrenness attack on your rights in Christ.
• The flu is saying something to you.
• It’s saying, “I have a right to be in your body.”
• “I have a right to make you miserable and steal your finances.”
• That’s what sickness is saying.
• It’s issuing a challenge to you, throwing down the gauntlet.
• It’s saying right to your face, “I’m not leaving so, what are YOU going to do about it?”
• You can name any disease or the sickness.
• They all have their distinct voice.
• Bronchitis is saying, “You lack healing,” as you spit up green stuff.
• “As long as I’m here, you’re going to cough and choke your head off.”
• How are you going to answer that voice?
• Do you have the faith to talk back to it?
• Will you rise and answer with the prayer of faith?

Flexing Your Faith and Prayer Muscles Against Lack

• If your money is drying up, that kind of barrenness is speaking to you also.

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV) — 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

• ‘All-sufficiency,’ ‘abundance for every good work,’ do you hear that?
• Does that excite you to have what you need?
• If it does, give voice to the prayer of faith.
• Your adverse circumstance will not change unless you learn to talk back to lack.
• Giving the silent treatment won’t work.
• No, you must use your words.
• The prayer of faith is your end of the conversation.

Jesus Uses the Fig Tree to Teach about Prayer and Faith

Mark 11:19–25 (TNIV) – 19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” 22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and do not doubt in your heart but believe that what you say will happen, it will be done for you. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

The Tale of the Dead Tree

• So, Jesus speaks to the tree on His way to Jerusalem.
• He then ministers in the Temple.
• At evening, He leaves and goes back out to Bethany.
• On the way back to Bethany He passes the same tree, He spoke to earlier.
• At this point, there is no change in the condition of the tree.
• If there were a change, the disciples would have spoken up.
• Their lack of reaction is an indicator.
• Jesus and His disciples then retire for the night.
• The next morning as they travel back, they come upon the same tree.
• But now, the disciples notice the tree, something is different, like mega different.
• The tree which was green last night is no longer in that condition.
• It is dried up.
• Jesus then takes this opportunity to teach the disciples about prayer and faith.
• It’s important to know that most of the time, there may not be an immediate change on the outside when you pray and use your faith.
• But there is an immediate change.
• In the case of the fig tree, the change took place at the roots of the tree first.
• The roots of the tree were hidden away from view.
• The disciples couldn’t see the roots and neither could Jesus.
• Pay attention to Jesus.
• Copy Him.
• Emulate Him.
• When He passed by the tree during the evening, notice that He didn’t speak to the tree a second time.
• Why do we pray a second time sometimes?
• Is it because we don’t believe God heard our prayer the first time?
• Or is it because we think more is better?
• Jesus didn’t think more was better.

It’s Not the Abundance of Words

• He didn’t bombard the tree with His words.
• Sometimes we think we will be heard for the number of our words.

Matthew 6:7 (NKJV) — 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

• When Jesus passed this fig tree the second time, He had already answered it back.
• The Son of Man was not casual or flip with His words.
• Jesus said what meant and meant what He said.
• And, He knew by faith what the result would be.
• The faith and prayer lesson is; don’t judge your prayer by what you can see.
• Know that your faith is going to the roots of the problem.

Prayer and Faith in the Bible

• Here are a few faith and prayer verses.

James 5:15 (KJV) — 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Mark 11:22–25 (ESV) — 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Matthew 21:21–22 (NKJV) — 21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

• From these verses, we can glean several faith and prayer lessons.

Faith and Prayer Lesson One: Understand the Power of Your Words

Faith, Prayer, and Words in Proverbs

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV) — 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Proverbs 6:2 (NKJV) — 2 You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth.

• The writer of Proverbs says that people are snared by their words.
• To be effective praying for your needs, you must have at least a general understanding of the power of words.
• And the reason that’s true is that prayer is expressed in words.
• You’re going to use words when you come before God.
• Proverbs 6:2 says people are snared by their words.
• With that thought here’s the definition of the day.
• The Hebrew word ‘snared’ means to lay a trap, or to be caught.
• The Hebrew language is a picture language.
• The individual letters and the many three letter words convey photographic images.
• The picture that the word ‘snared’ is showing is one of a hunter who sets a trap for a bird.
• You remember in Matthew six, Jesus told us to observe the birds.
• So according to the picture painted by Proverbs 6:2, people set traps for themselves with the words of their mouth.
• But, not only do we set a trap for ourselves with words but we also spring a trap with words.

Life and Death in Our Mouths

• The result is imprisonment.
• We become POW’s because of our words.
• Death and life are within the realm of the tongue.
• We can speak death to our life, or we can speak life to our life with our tongue, the same tongue that you lift to God in prayer.
• So, sometimes we go directly to jail, we do not pass ‘Go,’ we do not collect $200.00 all because we have the wrong words in our mouths.
• Death, spiritual death (which leads to physical death) the things of darkness, are in the realm of your words.
• Adam found this out first hand.
• But, there is good news here.
• You have a choice between whether you speak or whether you utter life.
• Your words can permeate with death, or your words can permeate with life.
• So, can you agree that the words you are speaking have a tremendous effect on your prayer life?
• What kind of words are you praying to God with?
• Are prayer and faith the direction you are heading?
• Are you praying faith-filled words, words that are established on Bible promises?
• Or, are you praying death-filled words without realizing it?

Spiritual Babies Must Learn How to Speak

• One thing that all babies get to do is to learn how to talk.
• At the time of this writing, I have four grandchildren, and it is beautiful to see them go through the process of learning to talk.
• In God, we have experienced a spiritual rebirth.
• The scripture calls being born-again.

1 Peter 2:2 (NKJV) — 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

• Anybody who is born again is a spiritual babe in God and like babies, they all babies have to learn how to talk.
• Babies say whatever they hear.
• They are like parrots.
• One part of coming to Jesus is learning how to talk.
• Your faith won’t be useful if you talk like you used to talk when you were unsaved.
• Your conversation in the world was not faith-filled.
• It was full of doubt, unbelief, and fear.
• You have to learn a new language, the language of faith.
• It’s much easier to pray in faith if you learn how to talk in faith.
• Talking to God is what prayer is.
• So, what is talking in faith?
• Talking in faith is talking the Bible.
• It’s quoting the Word.
• And, weaving the principles of the Word into your conversation and your life.
• You can’t say something better than the way God said it in His Word.
• So, learn to talk the Bible.
• Learn to pray the Bible.

Mixing Faith And Prayer with Your Food

• Start by using the prayer of faith to pray over your food.

1 Timothy 4:3–5 (NKJV) — 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

• Your food is sanctified how,  by the Word of God and prayer?
• It’s not just by prayer.
• You know it’s not just by saying grace but by the Word.
• So, with that thought, here’s the question of the day.
• What Word of God are you praying over your food?

Prayer and Faith Scriptures to Use When You’re Praying Over Food

• Here are the verses that I use.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV) — 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

• ‘Everything’ includes food and so, ‘Father, I thank you for this meal that you have placed at my disposal.’
• Then, I add to that the verse we have already read, 1 Timothy 4:5 which says that what we eat is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
• And so, ‘Bless and sanctify this food to the nourishment of my body.
• By the way, you can’t pray this over potato chips.
• You can’t ask the Lord to sanctify chips to the nourishment of your body because there is no nourishment in it.
• Potato chips are empty calories.
• It would take a recreative miracle to transform potato chips into healthy food.
• I’m not trying to be funny here or be smart.
• You have to use your head in these things.
• I like to add Exodus 23:25 to the end of my prayer.

Exodus 23:25 (NKJV) — 25 “So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.

• “Here is what the Lord is saying in Exodus.
• I will bless what you eat to such an extent that it will impact your health.”
• Or in other words, “I will bless what goes into your body so that it can heal your body.”
• Long life is the effect of God’s answer to this prayer.

Exodus 23:26 (NKJV) — 26… I will fulfill the number of your days.

Putting It All Together

“Father, I thank you for this meal that you have placed at my disposal. I ask you to bless and sanctify it to the nourishment of my body. I thank you that you bless my bread and water and you take sickness and disease away from my midst and the number of my days you fulfill.

• Will God answer this prayer?
• Are you serious?
• Yes, of course, He will answer it.
• It’s His Word.
• We must learn to incorporate the Word into our everyday life.

#S4-032: Lessons on Spirit Living from Powerful Moves of God [Podcast]

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