When You Pray And It Looks Like Nothing Changed : The Christian Daily Devotional - by Alfred

Mark 11:23 KJV

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

  If you pray and it looks like nothing changed, the problem is what you're looking at.

   You can't pray that a mountain should move then when you open your eyes and the mountain is still there you say, "the prayer didn't work" or "God didn't answer my prayer."

   No!! you're looking at the wrong thing. 

   You're supposed to look at God's word. Look at Jesus. 

    Jesus & the word are one and the same, and it is written; if any man believe what he sayeth shall come to pass he shall have whatsoever he sayeth.

   That means after you speak to that mountain you see words of Jesus that it just has to move.

   It might take a day, a week, a decade; but it would move as long as you believe you'll have what you say.

   Don't doubt in all that time. Know all that time that it would move.

   Keep your eyes on the word all the while.

   Note that Different situations call for different types of prayer.

   Some situations you pray once using a few sentences and believe you would receive; then it would manifest right then or in the future.

   Some situations calls for a lengthier amount of time praying. Jesus told his disciples in the garden of Gethsemane to watch with him one hour (Matthew 26: 40 - 41). That was a lengthy time to pray. 

   There are also situations that calls for praying for as long as it would take. Days, weeks, years. An example of such a case was when Peter was put in prison and was to be executed. The Bible tells us prayer was made without ceasing (Acts 12: 5). They formed a non stop around the clock prayer chain and prayed. They didn't have any set time or date to end the prayer. They prayed for as long as it would take. 

   For that kind of prayer you pray still you receive a confirmation in your Spirit that it's done, you should move on to just believing now that you shall have. Or you pray, until you see a Sign that you can stop praying now. It is done.

   There are other types of prayer but what's covered is sufficient for now.

   Never believe after you pray that nothing happened, no matter what's happening around you. Focus on the word.

   The word never fails.

   Remember the tree that Jesus cursed that no man would ever eat from its tree (Mark 11:12-24). 

   When Jesus cursed it, it looked like nothing happened. However, something happened. Though no one could see it in the physical, something still happened. It was later when the disciples where passing by that place they saw that they tree had withered.

   When did the tree wither? Was it when the disciples saw it? No! It was the second Jesus cursed it.

   Jesus believed it was done the second he cursed it. He walked off believing it was done.

   When you pray, don't ever think nothing happened. Walk off believing it was done or keep praying knowing that the more you pray the more things are changing depending on the kind of prayer required to deal with that particular situation.

   

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for your word. I thank you for all I've learnt. I now know that prayer always works. Something always happens when I pray.

Further Study:

Matthew 26:40-41 KJV

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? [41] Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 

Acts 12:5-7 KJV

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. [6] And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. [7] And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 

Mark 11:12-14 KJV

And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: [13] And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. [14] And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. 

Mark 11:20-24 KJV

And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. [21] And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. [22] And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. [23] For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. [24] Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.