"So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. "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. "And whenever you stand praying if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
--Mark 11: 22-26
I really struggled with this passage today, because, after reading it, I said a few prayers, and then I walked over to the corner store to purchases a lottery ticket. I scratched away all of the numbers, and I didn't win crap. So I said a few more prayers, scratched away again, and nothing! I was close to giving up all-together.
Obviously, I'm joking. But the funny thing is how often we pray for such concrete but meaningless material items--sometimes without even knowing. I am actually guilty of saying short prayers before playing $2 scratch off lottery tickets in the past. I know it sounds lame, because it is...110% LAME. I'm not even sure if they can be called "prayers" when the outcome is winning a couple hundred dollars you don't deserve in the slightest.
Similarly, I remember when I was a kid, playing baseball, and I had a ritual of performing the Sign of the Cross while in the batter's box or on the pitcher's mound. I did it for two reasons: 1. That I would be successful at getting a base hit; 2. I would be successful striking out the opposing batter. When I look back now, I am sure that God did not care whether I was successful as a pitcher or a hitter. But he must have been interested in my well-being, because I was never hurt while in the batter's box or on the pitcher's mound.
A common misconception is that it is "only human" to be selfish. It is actually entirely inhuman to do so, because we are created in the likeness of God, and He is anything but selfish. That is most evident by Him sending down His only Son to atone for our sins! The Will of God WILL ALWAYS prevail! Therefore, when we pray it must be for something that is truly in His name and for His cause. When that is the case, we CAN throw mountains into the sea.
God wants us to be happy. He is happiest when we are happy. But it is impossible to be truly happy unless we are at peace with Him. He is Love, and his only commandment is for us to love one another. And we cannot truly love each other unless we forgive each other for the inhuman things we do to one another. Since we are all connected, when we sin, we not only sin against God, but everything that is God. Therefore, we must not only ask God for forgiveness, but our brothers and sisters, as well, to be truly absolved from the sin. It is then that we can live happily together, many branches, connected by One Vine.
Love and God Forever,
Anthony Paul
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