Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse emphasizes believing you have received it already, not just that you will receive it in the future. This subtle shift in tense highlights that true faith means experiencing the answer in your spirit even before it manifests in the physical world. It’s about aligning your heart with God’s promise as if it’s already done.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following His triumphant entry into Jerusalem and a cleansing of the temple, Jesus and His disciples encounter a fig tree with leaves but no fruit. Jesus curses the tree, which withers by the next day, leading Him to teach His disciples about the power of faith and prayer. This teaching comes right after the dramatic events in the temple and the lesson from the fig tree, linking faith to divine action and the purification of God's house.
Ever prayed for something and felt like you were just sending a wish into the void? Jesus' words here are radical: don't just hope you'll receive it, believe you have received it.
The core of this promise is in the timing of our belief. The Greek word here (elambete) is in the past tense, meaning 'believe that you received them.' This isn't about wishful thinking, but about a confident certainty that God has already granted your request in the spiritual realm, even before it manifests in the physical. Think of it like this: when you pray for peace or forgiveness, you don't wait to feel peaceful or forgiven before believing it's yours. You believe you have received it in Christ, and then that spiritual reality begins to shape your experience. This is faith in action – receiving by believing, not waiting to see.
Prayer isn't just talking to God; Jesus links it directly to faith. But what does it mean for prayer to be the 'language of faith'?
Jesus transitions to prayer right after talking about faith, specifically after the disciples witnessed the miraculous withering of the fig tree. He uses this powerful imagery to highlight that faith isn't passive; it's active, and prayer is its primary mode of expression. When you have faith in God's promises and power, you don't just hold it internally – you bring it to Him in prayer. This isn't about commanding God, but about aligning your heart's desires with His revealed will through confident petition. The scholars point out that true prayer is always grounded in God's Word and aimed at His glory, making our faith not presumptuous, but confident and centered.
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Understand the original words
proseuchē · Greek Noun
A solemn petition, request, or act of worship directed toward God, characterized by dependence upon His grace and alignment with His will.
This powerful statement about prayer's efficacy is given by Jesus during His final week in Jerusalem, immediately after a dramatic demonstration of divine authority (the fig tree withering) and a confrontation with the religious establishment.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus' Final Week in Jerusalem
Jesus makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, teaching and cleansing the temple during this intensely significant week before His crucifixion.
Early 1st century AD
Cleansing of the Temple
Jesus drives out money changers and merchants from the temple courts, declaring it a house of prayer, a powerful demonstration of His authority.
Early 1st century AD
The Fig Tree Withers
Jesus curses a fig tree that has no fruit, and it withers. He uses this as a vivid object lesson for His disciples about faith and prayer.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus Teaches on Faith and Prayer
In response to the disciples' amazement at the withered fig tree, Jesus teaches them about the power of faith in prayer, leading to Mark 11:24.
Early 1st century AD
Growing Opposition from Religious Leaders
The religious authorities, increasingly threatened by Jesus' teachings and miracles, begin plotting to arrest and kill Him.
This passage is a parallel account where Jesus explicitly states that whatever is asked in prayer, believing, will be received, directly reinforcing the promise in Mark.
1 John 5:14This verse connects our prayers to God's will, implying that when we ask according to His will, we can have confidence in receiving our requests, aligning with the faith required in Mark 11:24.
Hebrews 11:6This verse highlights that without faith, it is impossible to please God, emphasizing the crucial role of belief and conviction in approaching God, which is central to Jesus' teaching in Mark 11:24.
Philippians 4:6-7This passage teaches us to bring our requests to God with thanksgiving, and in doing so, we will experience a peace that surpasses understanding, demonstrating a practical application of faith-filled prayer.
Romans 8:28This verse assures believers that God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, providing a foundational trust that underpins confident prayer.
ellicottMark 11:24: "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
(24) Believe that ye receive them. —The better MSS. give the latter verb in the past tense, “Believe that ye received them.” It is obvious that, as a rule, such words imply prayer for spiritual rather than temporal blessings. In that region the subjective faith becomes an objective reality. We are to believe, not that we shall one day have what we pray for in…
calvinMark 11:11-24: "And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve."
- And when he entered into Jerusalem, the whole city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11. And the multitudes said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth in Galilee. 12. And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all that sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the mon…
The verse emphasizes believing you have received it already, not just that you will receive it in the future. This subtle shift in tense highlights that true faith means experiencing the answer in your spirit even before it manifests in the physical world. It’s about aligning your heart with God’s promise as if it’s already done.
Following His triumphant entry into Jerusalem and a cleansing of the temple, Jesus and His disciples encounter a fig tree with leaves but no fruit. Jesus curses the tree, which withers by the next day, leading Him to teach His disciples about the power of faith and prayer. This teaching comes right after the dramatic events in the temple and the lesson from the fig tree, linking faith to divine action and the purification of God's house.
Following His triumphant entry into Jerusalem and a cleansing of the temple, Jesus and His disciples encounter a fig tree with leaves but no fruit. Jesus curses the tree, which withers by the next day, leading Him to teach His disciples about the power of faith and prayer. This teaching comes right after the dramatic events in the temple and the lesson from the fig tree, linking faith to divine action and the purification of God's house.
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." — The verse emphasizes believing you have received it already, not just that you will receive it in the future. This subtle shift in tense highlights that true faith means experiencing the answer i…
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Last reviewed October 2026