The Meaning of Mark 11:24 Explained

Mark 11:24

KJV: Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

YLT: Because of this I say to you, all whatever -- praying -- ye do ask, believe that ye receive, and it shall be to you.

Darby: For this reason I say to you, All things whatsoever ye pray for and ask, believe that ye receive it, and it shall come to pass for you.

ASV: Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore  I say  unto you,  What  things  soever  ye desire,  when ye pray,  believe  that  ye receive  [them], and  ye  shall have  [them]. 

What does Mark 11:24 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Asking is a particular form of praying. Disciples can believe we have what we request in prayer when we ask for God"s will to take place ( Matthew 6:10; Matthew 7:7) because God will accomplish His will.

Context Summary

Mark 11:20-33 - The Conditions Of Prayer
The great lesson taught by this stricken tree justified its doom. It was not yet the time of the fig harvest, but some of last year's fruit might still be found; and the hope of this was still further aroused by the abundance of young leaves. It was a type of profession without performance. In addition to proclaiming the doom of promise which is not followed by performance, our Lord drew from the miracle the great lesson that faith can absolutely reckon on God's faith, that is, His faithfulness. Throughout His life, as we look into the heart of Jesus, we find only forgiving love, humility, faith. Forgiveness and love are the conditions of all successful prayers, Mark 11:24-26. We do not show sufficient appreciation for our Lord's marvelous intellectual power. He was more than equal to these clever intellects trained to argument. They were beaten at their own game. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 11

1  Jesus rides with triumph into Jerusalem;
12  curses the fruitless fig tree;
15  purges the temple;
20  exhorts his disciples to steadfastness of faith, and to forgive their enemies;
27  and defends his actions by the witness of John, who was a man sent of God

Greek Commentary for Mark 11:24

Believe that ye have received them [πιστευετε οτι ελαβετε]
That is the test of faith, the kind that sees the fulfilment before it happens. Ελαβετε — Elabete is second aorist active indicative, antecedent in time to πιστευετε — pisteuete unless it be considered the timeless aorist when it is simultaneous with it. For this aorist of immediate consequence see note on John 15:6. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 11:24

Romans 4:5 Believeth on Him [πιστεύοντι ἐπὶ τὸν]
The verb πιστεύω tobelieve is used in the New Testament as follows: 1. Transitively, with the accusative and dative: to entrust something to one, Luke 16:11; John 2:24. In the passive, to be entrusted with something, Romans 3:2; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Galatians 2:7. With the simple accusative, to believe a thing, John 11:26; 1 John 4:16. -DIVIDER-
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2. With the infinitive, Acts 15:11. -DIVIDER-
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3. With ὅτι that Matthew 9:28; Mark 11:24; James 2:19. Especially frequent in John: John 4:21; John 11:27, John 11:42; John 13:19; John 14:10, John 14:11; John 16:27, John 16:30, etc. -DIVIDER-
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4. With the simple dative, meaning to believe a person or thing, that they are true or speak the truth, John 2:22; John 4:21; John 5:46. See on John 1:12; see on John 2:22, John 2:23; see on John 8:31; see on John 10:37. -DIVIDER-
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5. With the preposition ἐν inNot frequent, and questioned in some of the passages cited for illustration. In John 3:15, ἐν αὐτῷ inHim, is probably to be construed with have eternal life. The formula occurs nowhere else in John. In Mark 1:15we find πιστεύετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ believein the gospel. The kindred noun πίστις faithoccurs in this combination. Thus Galatians 3:26, though some join in Christ Jesus with sons. See also Ephesians 1:15; Colossians 1:4; 1 Timothy 3:13; 2 Timothy 3:15; Romans 3:25. This preposition indicates the sphere in which faith moves, rather than the object to which it is directed, though instances occur in the Septuagint where it plainly indicates the direction of faith, Psalm 78:22; Jeremiah 12:6. -DIVIDER-
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6. With the preposition ἐπί uponon to, unto. a. With the accusative, Romans 4:5; Acts 9:42; Acts 11:17; Acts 16:31; Acts 22:19. The preposition carries the idea of mental direction with a view to resting upon, which latter idea is conveyed by the same preposition. b. With the dative, 1 Timothy 1:16; Luke 24:25; compare Romans 9:33; Romans 10:11; 1 Peter 2:6. The dative expresses absolute superposition. Christ as the object of faith, is the basis on which faith rests. -DIVIDER-
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7. With the preposition εἰς into Matthew 18:6; John 2:11; Acts 19:4; Romans 10:14; Galatians 2:16; Philemon 1:29, etc. The preposition conveys the idea of the absolute transference of trust from one's self to another. Literally the phrase means to believe into. See on John 1:12; see on John 2:23; see on John 9:35; see on John 12:44.Is counted for righteousness ( λογίζεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην )Rev., is reckoned. See on Romans 4:3. The preposition εἰς has the force of as, not the telic meaning with a view to, or in order that he may be (righteous); nor strictly, in the place of righteousness. Faith is not a substitute for righteousness, since righteousness is involved in faith. When a man is reckoned righteous through faith, it is not a legal fiction. He is not indeed a perfect man, but God does not reckon something which has no real existence. Faith is the germ of righteousness, of life in God. God recognizes no true life apart from holiness, and “he that believeth on the Son hath life.” He is not merely regarded in the law's eye as living. God accepts the germ, not in place of the fruit, but as containing the fruit. “Abraham believed God … . No soul comes into such a relation of trust without having God's investment upon it; and whatever there may be in God's righteousness - love, truth, sacrifice - will be rightfully imputed or counted to be in it, because, being united to Him, it will have them coming over derivatively from Him” (Bushnell). The idea of logical sequence is inherent in λογίζεται isreckoned - the sequence of character upon faith. Where there is faith there is, logically, righteousness, and the righteousness is from faith unto faith (Romans 1:17). Nevertheless, in the highest development of the righteousness of faith, it will remain true that the man is justified, not by the works of righteousness, which are the fruit of faith, but by the faith which, in making him a partaker of the life and righteousness of God, generates and inspires the works. Observe that the believer's own faith is reckoned as righteousness. “In no passage in Paul's writings or in other parts of the New Testament, where the phrase to reckon for or the verb to reckon alone is used, is there a declaration that anything belonging to one person is imputed, accounted, or reckoned to another, or a formal statement that Christ's righteousness is imputed to believers” (President Dwight, “Notes on Meyer”). -DIVIDER-
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[source]

Colossians 1:9 Pray - desire [προσευχόμενοι - αἰτούμενοι]
The words occur together in Mark 11:24. The former is general, the latter special. Rev. make request is better than desire. The A.V. renders indiscriminately ask and desire. Rev. alters desire to ask. Desire in the sense of ask occurs in Shakespeare and Spenser. [source]
1 John 3:22 Whatsoever we ask [ο εαν αιτωμεν]
Indefinite relative clause with modal αν — an and the present active subjunctive, like οτι εαν καταγινωσκηι — hoti ean kataginōskēi in 1 John 3:20. In form no limitations are placed here save that of complete fellowship with God, which means complete surrender of our will to that of God our Father. See the clear teaching of Jesus on this subject in Mark 11:24; Luke 11:9; John 14:12.; John 16:23 and his example (Mark 14:36; Matthew 26:39; Luke 22:42). The answer may not always be in the form that we expect, but it will be better. [source]
1 John 5:15 Whatsoever we ask [ο εαν αιτωμετα]
Indefinite relative clause with modal εαν — ean (= αν — an) and the present middle (as for ourselves) subjunctive of αιτεω — aiteō This clause, like ημων — hēmōn is also the object of ακουει — akouei know that we have Repetition of οιδαμεν — oidamen the confidence of possession by anticipation.The petitions (τα αιτηματα — ta aitēmata). Old word, from αιτεω — aiteō requests, here only in John, elsewhere in N.T. Luke 23:24; Philemon 4:6. We have the answer already as in Mark 11:24.We have asked Perfect active indicative of αιτεω — aiteō the asking abiding. [source]
1 John 5:15 The petitions [τα αιτηματα]
Old word, from αιτεω — aiteō requests, here only in John, elsewhere in N.T. Luke 23:24; Philemon 4:6. We have the answer already as in Mark 11:24. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 11:24 mean?

Because of this I say to you all things whatever praying also you ask believe that you receive and it will be
διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν πάντα ὅσα προσεύχεσθε καὶ αἰτεῖσθε πιστεύετε ὅτι ἐλάβετε καὶ ἔσται

διὰ  Because  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
τοῦτο  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
λέγω  I  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
ὑμῖν  to  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
πάντα  all  things 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
ὅσα  whatever 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ὅσος  
Sense: as great as, as far as, how much, how many, whoever.
προσεύχεσθε  praying 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: προσεύχομαι  
Sense: to offer prayers, to pray.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
αἰτεῖσθε  you  ask 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle, 2nd Person Plural
Root: αἰτέω  
Sense: to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require.
πιστεύετε  believe 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: πιστεύω  
Sense: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
ἐλάβετε  you  receive 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: λαμβάνω  
Sense: to take.
ἔσται  it  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.