Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says. Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them.
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Mark 11:22-24 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says. Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.”
Parallel Translations
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Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.
For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says.
Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them.
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And Iesus answered and sayde vnto them: Have confides in God.
Verely I saye vnto you that whosoever shall saye vnto this mountayne: take awaye thy silfe and cast thy silfe in to the see and shall not waver in his herte but shall beleve that those thinges which he sayeth shall come to passe what soever he sayeth shalbe done to him.
Therfore I saye vnto you what soever ye desyre when ye praye beleve that ye shall have it and it shalbe done vnto you.
Show all 3 translations
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And Iesus answered, and said vnto them, Haue the faith of God.
For verely I say vnto you, that whosoeuer shall say vnto this mountaine, Be thou taken away, and cast into the sea, and shall not wauer in his heart, but shall beleeue that those things which he saieth, shall come to passe, whatsoeuer he saieth, shall be done to him.
Therefore I say vnto you, Whatsoeuer ye desire when ye pray, beleeue that ye shall haue it, and it shalbe done vnto you.
Cross-references (29)
- Matthew 21:22 (v24) All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
- 1 John 5:14-15 (v24) This is the boldness which we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. And if we know that he…
- 1 John 3:22 (v24) so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.
- James 1:5-6 (vv23–24) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let…
- John 15:7 (vv23–24) If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.
Show all 26 cross-references
- Matthew 18:19 (v24) Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my…
- John 14:13 (vv23–24) Whatever you will ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
- Matthew 7:7-11 (v24) “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks…
- Matthew 17:20 (v23) He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this…
- Luke 11:9-13 (v24) “I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. For…
- John 16:23-27 (v24) “In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to…
- Matthew 21:21 (v23) Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith, and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree,…
- James 5:15-18 (v24) and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess…
- Luke 18:1-8 (v24) He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up, saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear…
- Psalms 37:4 (v23) Also delight yourself in Yahweh, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
- Luke 17:6 (v23) The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,’…
- Hebrews 11:17-19 (v23) By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son, to…
- Romans 4:18-25 (v23) Besides hope, Abraham in hope believed, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken,…
- Psalms 62:8 (v22) Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us.
- John 14:1 (v22) “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.
- Mark 9:23 (v22) Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 (v23) If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t…
- 2 Chronicles 20:20 (v22) They rose early in the morning, and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me,…
- Isaiah 7:9 (v22) The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.’ ”
- Titus 1:1 (v22) Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s chosen ones, and the knowledge of the truth which…
- Colossians 2:12 (v22) having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the…
26 distinct cross-references across this passage (29 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (18 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv22, 24 The faith of God is that assured faith and…
The faith of God is that assured faith and trust which we have in him.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv22–24 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith…
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Ver. 22. {See Trapp on "Mat 21:21"}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On v24 See Poole on "Mat 21:22". See Poole on "Mat…
See Poole on "Mat 21:22". See Poole on "Mat 6:14-15". See Poole on "Mat 7:7", in which texts we before met with what we have in these verses, teaching us the necessity of faith and charity to those who would so pray as to find acceptance with God. This also lets us know the necessity of people’s full satisfaction, that what things they ask of God in prayer are according to the will of God, without which it is not possible they should pray with a full persuasion that they shall receive whatsoever they in prayer ask of God. And because it is impossible we should in this point be fully satisfied, without a Divine revelation, as to things not necessary to salvation, our faith or persuasion can rise no higher, than a full persuasion, that if things of this nature, when we ask them of God in prayer, be such as are for our good, and for God’s glory, we shall receive them. The cause was otherwise as to those to whom Christ had given a power to work miracles; what they asked of that nature they must know it was the will of God to effect by them, and they could not without sin doubt of it.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain On v23 There are two qualifications requisite in prayer, if we…
There are two qualifications requisite in prayer, if we expect to find acceptance with God, namely, faith and love; to the first Christ had spoken in the former verse, to the latter in this. When ye shall stand praying, forgive. It was ordinary for the Jews to pray standing, yet in their solemn days of fasting they did kneel, and prostrate themselves before the Lord; but the Christians usually kneeled down and prayed, Act 9:40.
Now the command here to forgive those that offend us before we pray, shews,
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1. That no resentments of what our brother doth, should stick long upon our spirits, because they indispose us for that duty we are to be continually prepared for.
2. That there is some sort and kind of forgiveness to be exercised towards an offending brother before he asks it, and though he doth not shew any token of repentance and sorrow for it; because I am to pray for him out of love to him, and must lift up pure hands, without wrath.
Learn hence, That they who are sueing for, and expecting forgiveness from, God, must exercise forgiveness towards others, or else their prayers are a sort of imprecations on themselves.
2. Observe, Christ speaks indefinitely; When ye pray, forgive. He doth not say, your brethren, but men: If we forgive men their trespasses Mat 6:14; that is, all men, good and bad, friends and enemies; if we forgive one another freely, our heavenly Father will forgive us fully. Our forgiving one another is the indispensible condition of God’s forgiving us, and of hearing the prayers which are put up by us.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv22–24 For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall…
For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain,.... The Mount of Olives, at, or near which they now were,
be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; that is, of Galilee, which was nearest, and yet many miles off:
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and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; not only as to removing a mountain, and casting it into the sea, but any thing equally difficult;
he shall have whatsoever he saith: whatever he commands shall be done; See Gill on Mat 21:21.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v22 Have faith in God - And who could find…
Have faith in God - And who could find fault, if the Creator and Proprietor of all things were to destroy, by a single word of his mouth, a thousand of his inanimate creatures, were it only to imprint this important lesson more deeply on one immortal spirit?
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v22 Verse 22. Have faith in God] Εχετε πιϚιν θεου…
Verse 22. Have faith in God] Εχετε πιϚιν θεου is a mere Hebraism: have the faith of God, i.e. have strong faith, or the strongest faith, for thus the Hebrews expressed the superlative degree; so the mountains of God mean exceeding great mountains-the hail of God, exceeding great hail, &c.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v22 Mar 11:22-24. Jesus answering, saith, Have faith in God…
Mar 11:22-24. Jesus answering, saith, Have faith in God — The original expression, εχετε πιστιν θεου, is literally, Have a faith of God; that is, say some, Have a strong faith. And it is a known Hebraism, to subjoin the words, of God, to a substantive, to denote great, mighty, excellent; and to an adjective, as the sign of the superlative. In support of this interpretation, Bishop Pearce has produced a number of passages, universally explained in this manner. “I cannot help, however, upon the whole,” says Dr. Campbell, “preferring the common version. My reasons are, 1st, I find that the substantives construed with Θεου, (God,) when it signifies great or mighty, are names either of real substances, or of outward and visible effects. Of the first kind are prince, mountain, wind, cedar, city; of the second are wrestling, trembling, sleep; but nowhere, as far as I can discover, do we find any abstract quality, such as faith, hope, love, justice, truth, mercy, used in this manner. When any of these words are thus construed with God, he is confessedly the subject, or the object of the affection mentioned. 2d, The word πιστις, both in the Acts and in the epistles, is often construed with the genitive of the object, precisely in the same manner as here. Thus, Act 3:16, πιστις του ονοματος αυτου, is, faith in his [Christ’s] name; Rom 3:22, πιστις Ιησου Χριστου, is, faith in Jesus Christ. See to the same purpose, Rom 3:26; Gal 2:16; Gal 2:20; Gal 3:22; Php 3:9; ελπις, hope, is used in the same way, 1Th 1:3.” The evident meaning of this precept, as given to the apostles, was, Have a firm faith or confidence in the power and faithfulness of God, to enable you to effect what you believe will be for his glory, and the furtherance of the work in which you are engaged. This has been frequently termed the faith of miracles, concerning which, see note on Mat 17:20. “It is certain,” says Dr. Doddridge, “that the attempt of performing miracles in public, was a remarkable instance of faith in the divine power and fidelity; for they were generally introduced by some solemn declaration of what was intended, which was, in effect, a prediction of immediate success: (so Peter says, Act 3:6, In the name of Jesus Christ, Rise up and walk; Mar 9:34, Eneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole; and again, Mar 9:40, Tabitha, arise.) And, in pronouncing this, the person speaking pawned all his credit as a messenger from God, and consequently all the honour and usefulness of his future life, on the immediate miraculous energy to attend his words, and to be visibly excited on his uttering them. And hence it is that such a firm, courageous faith, is so often urged on those to whom such miraculous powers were given. But what kind of intimation of God’s intended miraculous interposition the apostles, in such cases, felt on their minds, it is impossible for any, without having experienced it, to know. It is, therefore, an instance of their wisdom, that they never pretend to describe it, since no words could have conveyed the idea.”
This exhortation, however, is not to be considered as being exclusively given to our Lord’s apostles and first disciples: it is also given to us, and to all his true followers, to the end of the world. We are all here exhorted to have a steadfast faith in the power, love, and faithfulness of God; and to be fully persuaded that he will make good all his declarations, and fulfil all his promises, in their proper meaning, to all true believers in due season; and this, notwithstanding any difficulties or apparent improbabilities which may be in the way. And it is on this foundation that we must approach God in prayer, fully expecting, if we ask such things as we are authorized by his word to ask, and are earnest, importunate, and persevering in asking them, that we shall certainly receive what we ask, as our Lord declares in the next words; even if the granting of our petitions imply God’s doing what is really extraordinary, he having, in all ages, on certain occasions, done what was truly miraculous, in answer to the prayers of his faithful people; innumerable instances of which, especially with respect to recovery from sickness, may easily be produced. For instances, see the Arminian Magazines, vol. 5., pages 251, 312; vol. 8., page 200; vol. 9, pages 35, 36; vol. 14., pages 468, 532; vol. 16., page 146; vol. 19., page 409.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v23 Ecclesiastical history informs us, that St. Gregory of Neo-Cæsarea,…
Ecclesiastical history informs us, that St. Gregory of Neo-Cæsarea, surnamed Thaumaturgus (whose feast is kept Nov. 17.) performed this miracle, removing by his prayers a mountain that obstructed the building of a church. (Ven. Bede)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv22, 24 22. Have faith in God — So complete was…
22. Have faith in God — So complete was the evidence of miraculous power that it furnished foundation for a lesson of miraculous faith.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv22–24 22. Have faith in God] as the personal source…
22. Have faith in God] as the personal source of miraculous power. (Comp. Mat_17:20; Luk_17:6.)
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv23–24 (23) Those things . . . he shall have…
(23) Those things . . . he shall have whatsoever he saith.—The better MSS. give, “that the thing which he saith cometh to pass,” and “he shall have it.” The promise is specific rather than general in its form, and so prepares the way for the wider generalisation of the next verse.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv22, 24 Vers. 22, 23. Have faith in God; literally, have…
Vers. 22, 23. Have faith in God; literally, have the faith of God full, perfect, effectual faith in him; faith like a grain of mustard seed. You may be staggered and perplexed at what you will see shortly; but "have faith in God." The Jews may seem for a time to flourish like that green fig tree; but they will "soon be cut down as the grass, and be withered as the green herb." What seems difficult to you is easy with God. Trust in the Divine omnipotence. The things which are impossible with men are possible with him. Our Lord then uses a metaphor frequently employed to indicate the accomplishment of things so difficult as to be apparently impossible. He employs a bold and vivid hyperbole; and, pointing probably to the Mount of Olives overhanging them, and on the shoulders of which they were then standing, he says, "With this faith you might say to this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea, and it shall come to pass."
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv22–24 Have faith in God.
Mar_11:22
Have faith in God.
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Have faith in God
I. What faith is.
1. Taking God at His word, about things unknown (Heb_11:7), unlikely (Heb_11:17-19), untried (Heb_11:28).
2. Trusting Jesus at His invitation. Trust your soul to His care; your sins to His cleansing; your life to His keeping.
II. Whence faith comes.
1. From Gods grace (Eph_2:8; Rom_12:3)
2. From Gods Word (Rom_10:17; 2Ti_3:15).
3. From Gods working (1Jn_5:1; Col_2:12).
4. Out of the heart (Rom_10:10).
III. How faith works.
1. It overcomes the world (1Jn_5:4).
2. It purifies the heart (Act_15:8-9).
3. It works by love (Gal_5:6). (J. Richardson, M. A.)
Have faith in God-God will not desert those who trust in Him
Many years ago, when in my country charge, I returned one afternoon from a funeral, fatigued with the days work. After a long ride, I had accompanied the mourners to the churchyard. As I neared my stable door, I felt a strange prompting to visit a poor widow who, with her invalid daughter, lived in a lonely cottage in an outlying part of the parish. My natural reluctance to make another visit was overcome by a feeling which I could not resist, and I turned my horses head towards the cottage. I was thinking only of the widows spiritual needs; but, when I reached her little house, I was struck with its look of unwonted bareness and poverty. After putting a little money into her hand, I began to inquire into their circumstances, and found that their supplies had been utterly exhausted since the night before. I asked them what they had done. I just spread it out before the Lord! Did you tell your case to any friend? Oh no, sir; nobody knows but Himself and me. I knew He wouldnt forget, though I didnt know how He would help me, till I saw you coming riding over the hill, and then I said, Theres the Lords answer. Many a time has the recollection of this incident encouraged me to trust in the loving care of my heavenly Father. (G. Macdonald, D. D.)
One winter morning, a poor little orphan boy of six or eight years begged a lady to allow him to clean away the snow from her door. Do you get much to do, my little boy? said the lady. Sometimes I do, he replied, but often I get very little. And are you never afraid that you will not get enough to live on? The child looked perplexed a moment, and then answered, Dont you think God will take care of a boy if he puts his trust in Him, and does the best he can?
Have faith in God
Gotthold saw several sailors step into a boat to cross a river. Two took the oars, and, as usual, turned their backs upon the shore to which they intended to sail. A third stood and kept his face unaverted on the place where they wished to land, and which they very speedily reached. See here, he said, to those about him, what may well remind us of our condition. Life is a mighty river, rapidly flowing into the ocean of eternity, and returning no more. On this river we are all afloat in the bark of our vocation, which we must urge forward with the oars of industry and toil. Like these sailors, therefore, we ought to turn our back upon the future, put our confidence in God, who stands at the helm, and by His mighty power steers the vessel to where happiness and salvation await us, and diligently labour, unconcerned about anything else. We would smile, were these men to turn round and pretend that they could not row blindfold, but must needs see the place to which their course was directed; and it is no less foolish in us to insist on apprehending, with our anxieties and thoughts, all things, whether future or at hand. Let it be our part to ply the oar and toil and pray; but let us leave it to God to steer and bless and govern. O my God, be with me in my little bark, and bless it according to Thy good pleasure! I will turn my face to Thee, and, as Thou shalt enable me, I will diligently and faithfully labour; for all else Thou wilt provide.
The orphans prayer
A little child, whose father and mother had died, was taken into another family. The first night she asked if she might pray, as she used to do. They said, Oh, yes. So she knelt down, and prayed as her mother had taught her; and when that was ended, she added a little prayer of her own: O God, make these people as kind to me as father and mother were. Then she paused, and looked up, as if expecting an answer, and then added, Of course you will. How sweetly simple was that little ones faith; she expected God to do; and, of course, she got her request.
Have faith in God-Never give up in despair
An industrious tradesman had fallen on bad times; his business would not prosper, and he lost heart. His wife, however, kept cheerful; she went on praying, and tried to hearten up her husband. But it was no use; he kept on saying there was no hope for him, and he might as well go out of life, for there was nothing good to be looked for. One morning the cheery wife came down with a face as sad as her husbands. Whats the matter? said he. Oh, she replied, with a shudder, Ive had such a dreadful dream. I dreamt God was dead, and all the angels were going to His funeral! What nonsense! said her husband. How can you be so silly? Dont you know God cant die? She thought a moment, and then brightened up. Thats true, she answered. But, oh, husband! if He cant die, He cant change, either. He has taken care of us all our lives: why should we begin to think He has forgotten us now? Itll only be a passing cloud, may be, thats hiding the sun, just to try us. Let us trust Him through it all. Youre right, wife, said the man. Seems to me Ive believed in God without trusting Him. Let us ask Him to forgive me this sin of mistrust May be my ill luck has been a punishment for that same, sent to open my eyes. However that may have been, the tide did turn, and neither man nor wife ever mistrusted God again.
Have faith in God-Wonder-working faith
It is not only to faith, as a general spiritual force of boundless potency and value, that our Lord here directs our thoughts; but also, and more particularly, to the faith which sees what things are useless and ready to die, and puts them out of the way; the faith which confronts obstacles as big as solid mountains, and yet is sure that it can remove or surmount them; the faith which faints at no difficulty, no apparent impossibility even, but attacks even the greatest of them with courage and good hope. This is the faith to which Christ here invites us-the faith which He Himself exercised, not only when He banned the fig tree, but also when He set Himself to save and raise the world against its will, and had therefore to face a world in arms. It is the faith which believes truth to be stronger than error, righteousness than unrighteousness, good than evil, even though all the world should have espoused the losing cause. It is the faith which believes not only that spiritual energies are stronger than material forces, but also that the good spiritual forces of the universe are stronger than its evil forces, and are sure to overcome them in the end. Nothing seems more doubtful to us at times than the victory of faith over the world; yet nothing is more certain. The whole history of the world is one long continuous testimony to the fact, that it is by faith in great principles that men are really swayed. What is the history of every great movement by which the world, or any portion of it, has been raised, purified, reformed, and renewed, but just this: Faith in some great truth or principle-faith in justice, faith in freedom, faith in wise laws and deep convictions-has grown to enthusiasm in a few hearts; and in the power of this faith they have spoken and toiled, facing and gradually beating down all opposition, detecting signs of decay in the most venerable and solidly established institutions, customs, statutes, and dooming them to perish; encountering whole mountains of obstacle and difficulty, yet taking them up and at last casting them into the sea. (S. Cox, D. D.)
Faith in God
1. There is Christs command itself.
2. Gods own character demands this faith.
3. Gods gifts claim and warrant faith.
4. The way in which we specially honour Him is by having faith in Him.
5. Unbelief profits nothing.
6. Faith has dons wonders in time past, and it can do wonders still. (H. Bonar, D. D.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On vv22–23 Have faith
Have faith
Have the faith of God; i.e. the faith which God gives. Cf. 1Co 12:9; Eph 2:8.
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v24 v. 24. Therefore I say unto you, What things…
v. 24. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
v. 25. And when ye stand praying, forgive if ye have aught against any, that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
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v. 26. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
There are two factors which defeat the ends of prayer. The first is the lack of trust in efficacy of prayer. There are things which people need, which they desire, which they bring to God in prayer, and yet they lack assurance, they exhibit hesitation, fear as to the outcome. But Christ here states that every prayer of faith is heard. It may be that the fulfillment of wishes comes in a different form than the believer anticipated, in a manner more conducive to his temporal and eternal welfare, but the fact of God’s hearing prayer is unassailable. The second reason why prayers often have no effect is because of the condition of the person’s heart that presumes to pray. There cannot be, in the heart of a praying person, enmity, hatred, rancor, ill will, or any other unfriendly feeling which is at variance with the demand of God that a forgiving spirit must dominate our actions. No matter whether Christians have been wronged with or without reason, whether they feel hurt rightfully or wrongfully, their hearts must be filled with forgiveness toward all men. If they refuse to forgive, no matter what the occasion or the provocation, they thereby erect a wall, an impenetrable and insurmountable obstacle between themselves and God. They make God’s forgiveness of their own sins impossible, and God will not hear the prayers of such as have no clean record before Him, whose sins are not daily and richly forgiven them through the Gospel. Since they refuse their neighbor forgiveness, they shut themselves out from God’s mercy and goodness, and render their prayer of none effect.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv22, 24 Jesus answered them
Jesus answered them
"Jesus replied to his disciples"
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Truly I say to you
"I tell you the truth." This phrase adds emphasis to what Jesus says next.
whoever says
"if anyone says"
if he does not doubt in his heart but believes
Here "heart" is a metonym for a person's mind or inner being. AT: "if he truly believes in his heart" or "if he does not doubt but believes" (See: Metonymy)
God will do
"God will make happen"
translationWords
Jesus
faith
God
amen
cast out
heart
believe
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv22, 24 11:22-23 The importance of Jesus’ words is emphasized by…
11:22-23 The importance of Jesus’ words is emphasized by his emphatic I tell you the truth. • This mountain probably indicates the Temple Mount, not the Mount of Olives. The judgment of the Temple is the focus of 11:12-25; it will be referred to again in 12:9 and at great length in 13:1-37. Jesus’ reference to destroying the Temple would later be raised at his trial (14:58) and crucifixion (15:29).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.