Jesus illustrated an important link between prayer and faith. When we have faith that God will move as He has told us He would and we pray in response to that faith, the impossible happens.
Prayer is our most powerful gift when done in faith. E.B. Bounds: "We can do nothing without prayer. All things can be done by importunate prayer. It surmounts and removes all obstacles [mountains], overcomes every resisting force and gains its end in the face of invincible hindrances."
God does not like to force His will on His people, but in love, waits for us to capture His heart and ask him to move and work in our lives and the lives of others.
God has given us purpose here. He longs to co-labor with His people. Our job is to capture His heart by spending time in His presence and pray boldly in response to His faithfulness.
We have been given the incredible gift of conversation with a God who longs to move in response to our prayers.
James 1:5-8 "If any of you asks for wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.
Does this verse mean that I can speak things into existence? (Bible Study Tools Source)
This verse seems to indicate the power of your words. Does Jesus really mean that all it takes is for you to speak to a mountain and as long as you believe, that mountain will move? It appears on the surface that your words alone are being given the ability to have mountain-moving power. Before you make that final analysis, let’s consider the full context.
“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God.’”
What or Who is the object of your faith? Is it your words or is it God? The object of your faith must be God. The power in faith is not faith itself – it is the object of that faith. It is faith in God that makes the impossible possible.
The Tony Evans Bible Commentary:
“The most important aspect of faith, then, is the worthiness of its object. You must be trusting in the right thing. You can place tremendous faith in the tooth fairy or Santa Claus but you’ll be disappointed. If, however, you have true, vibrant faith in the God of the Bible, you have spiritual authority to access divine power.”
The result of mountain-moving faith is not coming just from “what” you say. The result of mountain-moving faith is coming from “who” you are believing in. Believe God and believe his word, for that gives you access to his divine power. It is that power alone that will move the mountains and change the situations in your life.
Words Are Powerful
Let’s be clear: your words are powerful. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. That’s right, your words can speak life and encouragement to a person’s soul. They can also be discouraging words, shooting holes in people’s ambition and bringing death to their dreams.
A Commonly Misquoted ScriptureIn some Christian circles, you may hear people say “speak those things that are not as though they are.” Usually this is said with great faith – with the thought of bringing something that you want to pass. Let me be clear, I am not trying to discredit anyone’s faith. I have no interest in doing that because I believe people who say this truly believe. The problem is the quote of the verse is incomplete. Here is the full verse in Romans 4:17:
“As it is written, ‘I have made you [speaking of Abraham] a father of many nations’) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;” (NKJV).
What you notice in this verse is that there is someone who can call to being things that do not exist, as though they do. That person is God. Though your words are powerful and can have tremendous impact in people’s lives, your words alone do not have the power to call things that do not exist into being. That right and power is only reserved for God alone.
Your responsibility is to let your faith be in the God who calls things into existence and not in your own ability to do that. In other words, be like Abraham. God told him he would give him a son in his old age. Abraham believed what God said, even though it took 25 years. Because Abraham believed God, what God said came to pass in Abraham’s life. Let your faith not be in your own words, let your faith be in God’s word.
Here is what we know about God’s word:
“So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
Trusting God’s word is the greatest guarantee that you will ever have in your life.
In summary: Know for certain that life and death are in the power of your tongue, so speak. Speak words of encouragement, life and hope to those around you. Speak God’s promises over your life. Speak to yourself and remind yourself who you are in Christ. Speak and encourage yourself in the Lord. Speak the word of God into your situations. Speak to the mountains and challenges in your life and don’t doubt that they will move.
However, in the speaking, remember to put your faith not in the words you speak, because that is not where the power comes from. Put your faith in God who has promised to bring his word to pass. This is the true source of your power. Let your faith be solely in God and his word because we know that his word will accomplish the purpose for which it was sent.