* All Scripture has balancing truths - you can easily tilt too far to one side or the other.

* This verse is a perfect picture of one aspect of faith - the POWER of faith.

* But we must always keep the balance with the PURPOSE of faith.

* What if I prayed and truly believed for Mount Everest to be uprooted and cast into the sea, what would happen?

* The balanced prayer of faith says, “It COULD happen (power), but probably WOULDN’T happen (purpose).”

* Why?

* Because what divine purpose would it serve?

* There was a divine purpose for the fig tree - it was supposed to bear fruit to nourish others.

* When it ceased to fulfill its purpose Jesus cursed it and it died.

* Christ’s purpose lined up with God’s purpose and in that moment we saw the power of His faith.

* You could use this verse to believe wrong things about faith.

* The balance is praying “according to God’s will.” (this is said all through the Scripture)

* If God placed a mountain in a certain spot it has a divine purpose to be there, then we don’t need to mess with praying for it to be removed.

* Joshua 10:12-13 - there was a divine purpose for the sun to sit still in the sky for one brief moment in time.

* Joshua’s prayer of faith lined up with God’s purpose and we saw the power of his faith.

* The goal of prayer is not getting the answer but coming to know the One to whom we pray so that His desires actually become our desires.

* We can pray for spiritual mountains to be moved and they will because it lines up with God’s will.

* EX: Jake with asking his granddad to build a treehouse.

* ** Note - what God established we ought not seek to remove. (like marriage - don’t ask God, “Are you ok with gay marriage?” He’s already spoken on that)

* There is one thing that will hinder our prayer of faith - unforgiveness or bitterness toward others.