In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.
(Matthew 21:18-20, NLT)
The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
I trust God will use this message to renew your mind in Jesus’ Name.
- I asked myself these questions yesterday;
- How long does it take for God to perform the miracles we need?
- How long does it take for God to grant us our requests?
- Some people believe it takes time, probably a day, week, month, or even years for God to answer their prayers.
- How long do we have to wait to see the promise come to pass in our lives?
Jesus’ Example:
Jesus came to show how God works. The miracles He performed and his teachings demonstrated how soon God wants to answer our prayers. An example is what happened in Matthew 21. When Jesus said to the fig tree “May you never bear fruits again!”. The Bible says immediately the fig tree withered up.
It happened so fast that the disciples were amazed at what they saw and probably thought (according to my own words) “wow! how could he do that?“. They asked how did the fig tree wither so quickly? This tells us that our God isn’t interested in wasting our time.
Daniel’s Encounter:
Daniel was a man of prayer. He cherished talking to God so much that even when decree was passed for he shouldn’t pray to his God, he went ahead in prayer. At one point after he had waited for 21 days for answers to his prayers and supplications, Gabriel came with this message “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision: (Daniel 9:22,23 NIV84 Emphasis added)
In this story, Daniel didn’t know that an answer prayer was given as soon as he began to pray.
- Friend, you may be asking yourself;
- When am I going to have answers to my prayers?
- When is God going to get me out of this debt?
- when is my child going to be saved?
- When am I going to get better job?
- When am I going to meet the right person?
- Asking questions don’t solve problems. Therefore Keep praying and Only Believe
Jesus’ Answers to Disciples’ Question:
Jesus answered the question by saying “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
(Matthew 21:21-22, NIV84)
I have learnt that it doesn’t take long for God to perform the miracles we need. Instead, we delay in receive God’s best for our lives. God is ready to give but we keep slowing Him down through unbelief. Here is the point: We believe that when we enter God’s restaurant and place order, we (automatically) have to wait (in line) for us to be served. It’s true that sometimes God teaches us discipline to be persistent in making request. That is to help us grow in Faith and to prepare us for the blessings because there are many wolves in the field. Even with that, He is always on time.
Often You Get What You Believe:
When you believe that you could receive answers as soon as you pray, it would be done according to your faith. The Centurion in Matthew 8 knew it would take time before Jesus got to his house, so he said (in my own words) “Lord you don’t have to waste time coming to my house. Just say the Word, and my servant will be healed” If he had waited for Jesus to come to the house, his servant’s healing would have been delayed. He believed it, and received it.
There were others who believed and waited for Jesus to come to them in order for their miracles to be possible. Either ways, the miracles happened and they had answers to their requests.
But if you would live on the higher level of Faith and believe that your Faith can take your miracles in an instant, it shall be possible for you. “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”
Only Believe.
Uplifting Christ 
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