And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. (Luke 17:6)
In our last study, we saw how to identify the obstacles that hinder our prayers from being answered (1). Too many times, we hear people blaming the obstacles on Satan and his demons but I submit that many times, it can be other factors. Factors such as the flesh, a mountain or a sycamore tree. In this study, we are going to deal with the sycamore tree. Is there a sycamore tree in your life? We will deal with this subject as we bring up the 2nd step to be discussed in removing the sycamore tree in your life--getting to the root of the problem.
Trees have roots. A Sycamore tree was known to have bitter fruit. It's roots were strong and entrenched on the ground. Notice the wisdom of Jesus, he compared this to unforgiveness. Take some time to read Luke 17:1-6. In these passages of scripture, he spoke concerning forgiving others 7 times in a day.
Now, some of us will forgive 1 or 2 times in a day but 7 is a challenge, especially if the person continues to do the same thing over and over again. It is no wonder they said----Increase our faith.(Luke 17:5) In getting to the root of the problem, we see Jesus offering a solution. The disciples asked to increase their faith. Have you ever heard of people praying for more faith? Maybe it might have been you?
Jesus talked about planting seed! (Luke 17:6) Hear me out, beloved, please do not pray for more faith, instead start planting the seed which is God's word. When you pray, pray God's word over any situation or any circumstance. The Bible says that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Guard your heart because that is the ground in which you will deposit the seed. God's word is alive but your heart has got to be right. Many say that the heart is the spirit of man and that is true but in other passages, heart involves the mind, will and emotions. In Prov 4:23, the Hebrew word is "Labe" (Strong's concordance 03820) Labe means the emotions, affections and the mind. A look at the Message version gives us more clarity on the word heart---
Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life. (Prov 4:23)(Message bible)
Our spiritual inner being has been redeemed and is saved but the mind, will and emotions need to be renewed. That is why we need the mind of Christ to transform our thought life. As we spend some time on who we are in Christ and what belongs to us, we can become futile ground for the seed(word) to grow. When we harbor bitterness, that hinders our prayers and growth. Now, we know that the fruit of the sycamore is bitter. We need to examine our hearts as far as bitterness is concerned.
Many of us do not have a problem forgiving but bitter memories still linger in the lives of some Christians. They regress to the past and rehearse past hurts. We are soldiers for the Lord and this is a battleground. When a soldier is wounded, he/she cannot fight. (Prov 18:14) We need to deal with a broken heart and wounded emotions because it can cripple our faith and affect others as well. (Heb 12:15)
Thank God, Jesus dealt with this. In Luke 4:18 and Ps 147:3, God has promised to heal broken hearts and bind up emotional wounds. I am convinced that the reason many turn away from God and backslide is because of a broken heart. Marriages have been destroyed because of a lack of knowledge in that area. So, if you have a broken heart, there is good news---Jesus wants to heal you and give you a new beginning. As you do that, you will be able to begin the process in tossing that sycamore tree out of your path and getting results in your prayer life. God bless!
Prayer---Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you so you could examine me. If I have any offense against anyone, I ask you to forgive me. I, by faith, forgive whoever has trespassed against me. I ask you to bless them. I will commit to erasing any memory of that hurt. I receive healing of a broken heart. I receive healing in my emotions. You said that you have come to heal broken hearts and to bind up my wounds. I declare healing in my emotions and in my mind. I will walk in love and refuse to rehearse the past. I, now, start a new chapter in my life and I thank you for a new beginning. In Jesus name....Amen.
Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com
Helpful links---
1- http://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/2015/10/remove-your-sycamore-tree-part-i.html
