Mark 11:23-24 (NKJV)

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Eisegesis: 

If you pray hard enough and really believe it, God is obligated to answer your prayer no matter what you ask.

Exegesis:   

This verse is not a black cheque that can be used for all our desires. It simply needs to be understood in the context of the surrounding events before this verse was said and in alignment with the rest of the scriptures that teach all our prayers need to be in accordance with the will of God.

This passage is famous for being wrongly interpreted to teach that you can personally pray for whatever you desire and you will receive it as along as you believe that.

The verse is also favorite amongst the word of faith movement which teaches the idea of “name it and claim it,” and that if we want to receive something we only have to receive it in Jesus’ name. This teaching has more in common with the New Age movement in the secular world which teaches that by simply visualizing what we want to happen we can actually change the world around us.

Certain examples of people missusing this is by telling people that if they pray for physical healing (or for some other specific request) with enough faith, then they can be confident that God has already done (or will do) whatever they ask.

But this is totally nonsensical and is not the message of Christ. Jesus in this passage is not saying that you can believe for any kind of desire that is in your heart but that our desires  are aligned with the will of God and the Kingdom of God.

To fully understand the context it was written in it is essential to note the series of events that took place before this verse was spoken by Christ.

• The Barren Fig Tree (Mark 11:12-14): Jesus cursed a fig tree for being fruitless, symbolizing judgment against unfruitfulness.
• Cleansing the Temple (Mark 11:15-19): Jesus drove out the money changers from the temple, denouncing the corruption and misuse of the temple, referencing Jeremiah 7.
• Withered Fig Tree (Mark 11:20-22): The disciples saw the fig tree withered from the roots, demonstrating the fulfillment of Jesus’ curse.

The cursing of the fig tree symbolized Jesus’ judgment against the temple and its corrupt religious system. Jesus found the temple fruitless and corrupt, similar to the barren fig tree. When Jesus says, “have faith in God, you can say to this mountain,” He is likely referring to the Temple Mount (symbolizing the religious system He was condemning for its corruption and spiritual barrenness).

This prediction came true in 70. A.D. when the temple and the corrupt religious system was destroyed resulting in nobody being able to could eat from the fruit (teachings) of that corrupt religions system.

We can certainly learn from Jesus’ statement to have faith in God which can certainly help us deal with the problem of fruitlessness and remove mountainous obstacles.

Jesus’ statement to have faith in God encourages believers to trust in God’s power to overcome obstacles and deal with unfruitfulness. However, these verses do not grant authority to pray for miraculous powers for personal convenience. If we know it is God’s will to remove a certain difficulty, we can pray with confidence, trusting in His timing and purposes.

Mark 11:23-24 should not be interpreted as a guarantee that God will fulfill any personal desire if we believe hard enough.

Instead, it emphasizes the importance of faith in God and alignment with His will. Prayers should be offered with the understanding that God’s will is paramount, and true faith involves trusting His wisdom and sovereignty in all situations.

This approach maintains the integrity of Jesus’ teaching and avoids the pitfalls of the “name it and claim it” theology, which can lead to disappointment and misunderstanding of God’s character and promises.