I was studying the scriptures some hours ago and a spiritual nugget dropped in my heart. This is in relation to the fig tree in (Mark 11:12-25). To summarise the story, Jesus Christ and his disciples whilst on their way to Jerusalem saw a fig tree. He was expecting to see fruits on it that he might pluck some. Unfortunately, there was none! Consequently, he cursed the tree to dry up. Nothing seemed to happen physically after those words. Bear in mind, that the same Jesus Christ spoke to situations (the sick, blind, the lame, the storm etc) and there were immediate manifestations in the physical.
You might wonder – why then is the “fig tree” different? Let us carry on with the story, the following day (could be between 6 – 12 hrs after the initial incident) on their way back, they passed by the fig tree. And Peter raised an alarm, “oh oh the fig tree has dried up!”.
The nugget for me is: there are varying challenges in a man’s life. Some will respond to the Word quickly to produce a physical manifestation. Some will take a day, days, a month, months, a year or years. It might not be clear-cut as to how to categorise the situations but one thing is sure that prayer ahead of time yield tremendous benefits.
I have heard several pastors, across the world, advice to pray for the future of ones’ children even if they are not yet born; to pray for ones’ marriage whilst still single etc.
Prayers/the Word are seeds. If sown at the appropriate time, they bear fruits at the appropriate time.
temitopebj 