Scripture Reading: Mark 11:20-24

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«　WEEK 3　DAY 1　»

　　Matt. 6:9-10 …Pray in this way: Our Father who is in the heavens, Your name be sanctified; Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth.

　　Jude 20 But you, beloved, building up yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.

　　Eph. 6:18 By means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition…

　　What is the meaning of prayer? Many people, upon hearing the term prayer, immediately think that it means man coming before God to make supplication. Because man is in want and needs material supply, or is sick and needs healing, or has other problems and needs some solution, he goes before God, asking Him to supply his needs, heal his sickness, and solve his problems. Men consider these as prayers… We dare not say that such a definition is wrong, but it is too superficial and lacks both depth and accuracy.

　　Prayer is not just man contacting God; it is the mutual contact between man and God. This matter of the contact between God and man is a very great subject in the Bible… The purpose of man’s living is to be God’s vessel. In the universe God is man’s content, and man is God’s container. Without man, God has no place to put Himself—He becomes a homeless God. I do not understand why this is so, but I know that it is a fact. In the universe God’s greatest need is man. God as an entity in Himself is complete, but as far as His operation in the universe is concerned, He still needs man to fulfill that operation. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” pp. 17-18)

　　God create[d] a spirit for man in the depths of his being… because God wants man to receive Him, who is Spirit. In the same way, He created a stomach for man because He wants man to take in food. Consider this: suppose God did not create a stomach for man—how could we take in food? Because we have a stomach, we can receive food into us, enjoy it, digest it, and assimilate it into our being, making it our constituent. In the same manner, since we have a spirit within us, we can receive God into us and assimilate Him, making Him our very constituent.

　　In the first two chapters of Genesis, when God created man to be His vessel, He made these two steps of preparation: one step was to create man to be like Him, and the other was to put a spirit within man so that man might receive Him. After He had made these two preparations, He placed Himself before man in the form of the tree of life in order that man might receive Him and obtain Him as life. Brothers and sisters, it is in man’s spirit that the contact between God and man is made. Once there is such a contact between God and man, God enters into man to be his content, and man becomes God’s vessel to express Him outwardly. Thus, God’s eternal intention is fulfilled in man.

　　Please remember, real prayer is the mutual contact between God and man. Prayer is not just man contacting God but also God contacting man. If in prayer man does not touch or contact God, and God does not touch or contact man, that prayer is below the proper standard. Every prayer that is up to the standard is one which is a mutual flow and contact between God and man. God and man are just like electric currents flowing into one another. It is hard to say that prayer is solely God in man or solely man in God. According to the fact and experience, prayer is the flowing between God and man. Every prayer that is truly up to the standard surely will have a condition of mutual flowing between God and man so that man may actually touch God and God may actually touch man; thus, man is united with God, and God with man. Therefore, the highest and most accurate meaning of prayer is that it is the mutual contact between God and man. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” pp. 19-20)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” ch. 1

«　WEEK 3　DAY 2　»

　　Rom. 8:26-27 …The Spirit also joins in to help us in our weakness, for we do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us… But He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to God.

　　James 5:17 Elijah was a man of like feeling with us, and he earnestly prayed…

　　A real prayer is also man breathing in God just as he breathes in air. While you are thus breathing in God, spontaneously you are obtaining God, just as when you breathe in air, you receive air… The more you pray, the more you will be filled with God, and the more you will surrender yourself to God and be gained by Him. If you do not pray for a week or, even worse, a month, then you will be quite far from God,… [which] means that you cannot obtain God and be obtained by Him. The only remedy for this situation is to pray. And it is not enough to pray for only two or three minutes; you must pray again and again until you have actually breathed God and are actually obtained by God, and God by you… The ultimate result of a prayer should be that the intercessor gains more of God and is gained more by God, although the thing which he has asked of God may also be fulfilled. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” pp. 20-21)

　　If a brother or sister has really learned the secret of prayer,… spontaneously… such a praying one will certainly cooperate with God, work together with God, and allow God to express Himself and His desire from within him and through him, ultimately accomplishing God’s purpose. This is according to Romans 8:26 and 27, which tell us that we do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to God’s purpose. Actually, we do not know how to pray. We know what people ordinarily call supplication, but we know little about the prayer that is spoken of in the Scriptures… We do not know those prayers that touch God’s desire and are up to the standard. This is our weakness.

　　Real prayers are prayers involving two parties. They are not simply man alone praying to God, but they are the Spirit mingling with man, putting on man, and joining with man in prayer. Outwardly it is man praying, but inwardly it is the Spirit praying. This means that two parties express the same prayer at the same time.

　　[In James 5:17] earnestly prayed in Greek means “prayed with prayer,” or “prayed in prayer.” This is a very peculiar expression in the Bible… When Elijah was praying, he was praying with, or in, a prayer. In other words, he prayed with the prayer of the Spirit within him. Thus, we can say that Elijah’s prayer was God praying to Himself in Elijah. Andrew Murray once said that a real prayer is the Christ who indwells us praying to the Christ who is sitting on the throne. That Christ would be praying to Christ Himself sounds strange, but in our experience this is really the case.

　　[In Romans 8:27] the Spirit…intercedes…according to God… means that the Holy Spirit prays in us according to God; that is, God prays in us through His Spirit. Thus, such a prayer certainly expresses God’s intention as well as God Himself.

　　Real prayers will certainly cause our being to be wholly mingled with God… When you pray, it is He praying, and when He prays, it is also you praying. When He prays within you, you express the prayer outwardly. He and you are altogether one, inside and outside; He and you both pray at the same time. At that time you and God cannot be separated, being mingled as one. Consequently, you not only cooperate with God but also work together with God so that God Himself and His desire may be expressed through you, thus ultimately accomplishing God’s purpose. This is the real prayer that is required of us in the Bible. (CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” pp. 22-23)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” ch. 2

«　WEEK 3　DAY 3　»

　　Matt. 21:21-22 …Truly 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 even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will happen. And all that you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.

　　In cursing the fig tree so that it instantly dried up, the first God-man taught His disciples how to pray by faith (Matt. 21:18-22; Mark 11:20-24). Not many see that the Lord’s teaching on prayer is related to God’s economy, which is to be accomplished by His faithful people doing His will… The God-man, Christ,… is the only One who is absolutely right before God. To pray such a prayer we must be right persons doing God’s will. This is God’s will not in small matters, such as where we should move, but His great will for the accomplishment of God’s economy. Many Christians today use the term the will of God in a very shallow and light way. We should be those who are carrying out God’s will to accomplish God’s economy. God’s economy is to produce an organism for His good pleasure. Israel disappointed God in this matter, so God came to the church, hoping that the church would be His organism. Eventually, the church, generally speaking, has also failed God. What is the real will of God that we have to carry out? It is to take care of the producing and building up of God’s organism, which is the Body of Christ that will consummate the New Jerusalem. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The God-man Living,” p. 578)

　　The fig tree is a symbol of the nation of Israel (Jer. 24:2, 5, 8)… The nation of Israel lost her capacity in fulfilling God’s economy because of her rottenness. In Revelation 2 the Lord’s first epistle to the first church, at Ephesus, says that because the church there lost her capacity to shine forth the testimony of Jesus, the Lord would remove her lampstand (v. 5). The same thing occurred to Israel in the ancient time. Actually, Israel was a lampstand, established by God to stand on the whole earth to shine forth God’s testimony (Zech. 4:2), but she lost this capacity because of her rottenness. Because the people of Israel’s condition of not bearing fruit but having only leaves still remained after the first God-man’s ministry among them, God intended to give them up (Matt. 21:33-43). The Lord ministered among them for three and a half years,… but [His ministry] had no effect on this nation chosen by God, so God intended to give them up. The Lord Jesus, who is right in the eyes of God, knows God’s heart, so His cursing the fig tree was according to His knowledge of God’s will in the fulfillment of God’s economy to give up the rotten Israel (v. 19). Based upon this background, the first God-man taught His disciples to pray for executing God’s will according to His economy by faith (vv. 21-22).

　　Thus, the praying one could have faith in God without doubting but believing that he had received what he asked for, and he would have it (Mark 11:24). The praying one is now one with God, in union with God. He is mingled with God, so God becomes his faith. This is what it means to have faith in God, according to the Lord’s word in Mark 11:22.

　　If we ask the Lord for things that satisfy our desire, we will not receive anything. This is because our prayer is not according to God’s will for the fulfillment of God’s economy, and we are not the right persons. First, we must be the right persons, absolutely one with God… Then we can have God as our faith and pray according to our knowledge of God’s will for the fulfillment of His economy. If we pray for something according to our desire, not according to God’s will, to fulfill our purpose, not to fulfill God’s economy, we can never have the faith in God to believe that we have received what we asked for. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The God-man Living,” pp. 579-580, 582)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The God-man Living,” ch. 16; Life-study of Mark, msg. 35

«　WEEK 3　DAY 4　»

　　Mark 11:22-24 And Jesus answered and said to them, Have faith in God. Truly I say to you that whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says happens, he will have it… All things that you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and you will have them.

　　The promise of Mark 11:24 is very comprehensive. It is one of the biggest verses in the Bible. John 3:16 speaks of “everyone,” but this verse speaks of “all things.” John 3:16 tells us that “everyone who believes into Him… would have eternal life”; Mark 11:24 tells us that “all things that you pray and ask… you will have them.” This is a very comprehensive verse; “all things” includes everything. But this verse has a condition: we must believe. If we do not have faith, we cannot have what we ask for. This verse not only tells us of the necessity of faith but also the nature of faith. (CWWN, vol. 46, p. 1211)

　　The nature of faith… [is not] the necessity of faith—this is apparent. The question is about how to believe, and [Mark 11:24] is the only verse which answers this question. “Believe that you have received them, and you will have them.” How should we believe? “Believe that you have received.” The way to believe is not that we will receive or can receive or that we are able to receive or are going to receive, but that we already have received. Faith is that we have received, not that we will receive one day… Believing with all our heart that we can receive or that we are going to receive… is hope, not faith… What is in the future is always hope, not faith. Our Lord did not say, “You must believe that you are going to receive.” On the contrary, He said, “You must believe that you have already received.” It is something already done by God, something given to us by God. Whenever our faith is in the future, it is not faith but hope. (CWWN, vol. 46, p. 1211)

　　Let us consider the meaning of a living faith. Only after we know what a living faith is can we exercise this faith… Everyone knows the word faith, but the faith of many people is not truly faith; their faith does not produce any effect on them. The Bible tells us that the old man is dead. Many people say that they believe this, but their faith is not effectual. They do not seem to have died at all.

　　To many people, faith is merely a mental consent; it is not a genuine believing in the heart. In their mind they agree that something is good and logical. Brothers and sisters, never consider this as faith; this is merely a mental reckoning. After one hears a doctrine, he may appreciate its excellence and logic. But knowing a good doctrine does not mean that one has faith in the doctrine.

　　Mark 11:24… is the only place in the entire Bible that tells us what faith is… Faith is believing that we have already received… Only one kind of faith is acceptable to God. The word have in Mark 11:24 is a very important word. If we believe that we have received something, we will have it. If we hope that we will receive it, whatever we have is not faith.

　　[Faith] is saying, after [a sinner] prays, “Thank God, my sins have all been forgiven by the Lord! Thank God, I am already saved!” Perhaps he will say this with tears in his eyes. This is faith… It is not believing that our sins can be forgiven or will be forgiven but believing that our sins are forgiven. Many people are clear at the time of their salvation what faith is. They believe that they are already saved, not that they will be saved or forgiven. But when they hear the next step of the truth, they give up the faith that they had before. At the time they are saved, they believe that they have already received. But when it comes to the next step of the truth, they can only believe that they will receive… After they are saved, they have no faith concerning Christ’s work in the other areas. (CWWN, vol. 43, pp. 628-631)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 46, chs. 179-180; CWWN, vol. 43, ch. 74; CWWN, vol. 6, pp. 879-885; CWWN, vol. 41, ch. 14

«　WEEK 3　DAY 5　»

　　Matt. 18:18 …Whatever you bind on the earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on the earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

　　Eph. 6:12-13 …Our wrestling is not against blood and flesh but against…the world-rulers of this darkness,… the spiritual forces of evil… Take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

　　The Bible contains a most lofty and spiritual prayer… It is the “prayer of authority.”… A prayer of authority is a commanding prayer. This is the most crucial and most spiritual prayer in the Bible. This kind of prayer is a sign of authority and a declaration of authority.

　　If you want to be a man of prayer, you have to learn to pray with authority. This kind of prayer is described by the Lord in Matthew 18:18… In this verse, there is a prayer that is called a binding prayer and a prayer that is called a loosing prayer. The move in heaven is dependent on the move on earth. Heaven listens to the earth and obeys the command of the earth. Whatever the earth binds will be bound in heaven, and whatever the earth looses will be loosed in heaven. The earth does not pray; it binds and looses. This is to pray with authority.

　　Isaiah 45:11 has the phrase, “Command Me.” How can we command God? This appears too presumptuous. But this is God’s own word.… As far as God is concerned, we can order Him, and we can command Him. Everyone who endeavors to learn to pray must learn this kind of prayer. (CWWN, vol. 22, “The Prayer Ministry of the Church,” p. 191)

　　[Commanding] prayer began from the time the Lord ascended to the heavenlies. Ascension is very much related to our Christian life… Ascension makes us victorious. The death of Christ dealt with the old creation in Adam, while resurrection brought us into the new creation… A new position before God was secured through the Lord’s resurrection, while a new position before Satan was secured through the Lord’s ascension. Ephesians 1:20-22 says that when Christ ascended, God caused Him to sit at His right hand and made Him “far above all rule and authority and power and lordship and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” Furthermore, God “subjected all things under His feet.” When Christ ascended, He opened up a way through “the air” to the heavenlies. From that day on, His church has been able to go from the earth to the heavenlies. We know that spiritual enemies dwell in “the air.” But today Christ has ascended to the heavenlies. A way from the earth to the heavenlies is now opened. This way was originally blocked by Satan. Now Christ has opened up a way to the heavenlies and has transcended far above all rule and authority and power and lordship and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come. This is Christ’s position today. In other words, God has put Satan and his subjects under Christ’s feet; all things are under His feet.

　　Ephesians 2 mentions sitting, while chapter 6 mentions standing; we stand in our position in the heavenlies:… “and having done all, to stand” (Eph. 6:13). Our warfare is against the demons. Hence, it is a spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:18-19 says, “By means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints, and for me.” This is a prayer concerning spiritual warfare. This kind of prayer is different from ordinary prayer. Ordinary prayer is directed from earth to heaven. But the prayer here is not from earth to heaven; it begins from a heavenly position and goes from heaven to earth. A prayer with authority has heaven as its starting point and the earth as its destination. (CWWN, vol. 22, “The Prayer Ministry of the Church,” pp. 192-194)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 22, “The Prayer Ministry of the Church,” ch. 4

«　WEEK 3　DAY 6　»

　　Mark 11:23-24 Truly I say to you that whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says happens, he will have it. For this reason I say to you, All things that you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and you will have them.

　　Praying with authority… is praying the prayer of Mark 11… Verse 24 is joined to verse 23. Verse 24 mentions prayer. This proves that verse 23 must also concern prayer. The strange thing is that verse 23 does not sound like an ordinary prayer. The Lord did not tell us to pray, “God, please move the mountain and cast it into the sea.”… The Lord… did not tell us to speak to God; He told us to turn to the mountain and to speak to the mountain… directly…, telling it to be cast into the sea. Since the Lord was afraid that we would not consider this to be a prayer, He pointed out in the following verse that it is a prayer… This is a prayer with authority. A prayer with authority does not ask God to do something. Rather, it exercises God’s authority and applies this authority to deal with problems and things that ought to be removed. Every overcomer has to learn to pray this kind of prayer. Every overcomer has to learn to speak to the mountain. (CWWN, vol. 22, “The Prayer Ministry of the Church,” pp. 195-196)

　　We have many weaknesses, such as temper, evil thoughts, or physical illnesses. If we plead with God concerning these problems, it seems that there is not much result. However, if we apply God’s authority to the situation and speak to the mountain, these problems will go away… A mountain is something that blocks the way and stops us from going on… When many people encounter a mountain in their life or in their work, they pray to God to remove the mountain. But God tells us to speak to the mountain ourselves. All we have to do is issue a word of command to the mountain: “Be taken up and cast into the sea.”… A prayer with authority is one in which we tell the things that are frustrating us to go away. We can say to our temper, “Go away.” We can say to sickness, “Go away. I will rise up by the resurrection life of the Lord.” This word is not spoken to God but directly to the mountain. “Be taken up and cast into the sea.” This is a prayer with authority.

　　If we have no doubts and are clear about God’s will, we can speak boldly to the mountain, “Be taken up and cast into the sea,” and the thing will be done. God has commissioned us to be those who issue the command. We command what God has commanded, and we give orders to what God has given orders to. This is a prayer with authority. A prayer with authority is not asking God directly. Rather, it is dealing with problems by directly applying God’s authority.

　　Prayer with authority has much to do with the overcomers. If a Christian does not know this, he cannot be an overcomer. We have to remember that God and the Lord Jesus are on the throne, while the enemy is under the throne. Only prayer can activate the power of God. Nothing can activate God’s power except prayer. This is why prayer is indispensable. If one does not pray, he cannot be an overcomer. Only after one knows to pray with authority will he know what prayer is. The most important work of the overcomers is to bring the authority of the throne to earth. Today there is a throne, the throne of God. This throne is ruling, and it is far above everything. In order to have a share in this authority, one must pray. Hence, prayer is very necessary. Those who can move the throne can move everything. We must see that Christ’s ascension has made Him far above all things, and we must see that all things are under His feet. For this reason, we can rule over all things with the authority of the throne. All of us have to learn to pray with authority. (CWWN, vol. 22, “The Prayer Ministry of the Church,” pp. 196-198)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 22, “The Prayer Ministry of the Church,” ch. 4