Matthew 21:18-22
As he returned to the city early in the morning, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “May there never be fruit from you again!” Immediately, the fig tree withered away. When the disciples saw it, they were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” Jesus answered them, “Amen, I tell 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 told this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it would be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer, as you believe, you will receive.”
Dear Lord Jesus,
The disciples observed the green fig tree wither away to nothing; it must have been astonishing, an occurrence that is not typical. However, the lesson from this tree is clear: when our faith is fruitless and based on anything other than You, we may face the same fate. The religious leaders possessed a vibrant faith, but it was merely a leafy faith that appeared appealing on the outside. Because it centered on themselves and their actions, it yielded no fruit and was ultimately dead.
In this lesson, You also taught the disciples about prayer: our confidence lies not in our prayers but in You, who answers them. We often focus on the unfruitful desires of our hearts that distract us from You and Your forgiveness, which You won for us on the cross. We need these distractions to be withered, extracted, and thrown into the sea. Too often, we fail to notice how these things divert us from Your love and lead us away from You. Please remove them according to Your grace and mercy, especially the mountains of sin in our lives; also, take away the residual guilt and shame that accompanies our sins; please take it all away.
Let us trust that You will always hear our prayers and respond to them according to the needs of our faith. Please envelop us in Your righteousness, strengthen our trust in You, and grant us the courage to share Your grace and mercy with others as a result of our faith. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
Let go of anything that distracts you from your faith in Jesus. Hold on to Christ with faith; when you ask Him for anything, trust that He will respond according to what is best for your salvation.