Help To Believe

through this I tell you, all, as much praying and asking, believing because receiving and existing yours. (Mark 11:24)

The word because ὅτι (hoti) is translated both as "that" and "because." Let's use this verse with both words. If we use "that" then we can take it to imply if you believe "that" you will receive what you ask for it will exist yours. If we use "because" we can take it to say that you believe because you asked and received. I propose the latter is just as truthful as the first. God does things, like answer our prayers in order to help us believe, to strengthen our faith. 

and this is the boldness we have with him because if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us, and if knowing because he hears us whatever asking we know because having the requests which we asked of him (1 John 5:14-15)

We have boldness before God as his children, more so as we mature walking according to his will, thus asking according to his will. We have this confidence that we are walking according to his will because what we ask for we receive. Whatever we ask in his name Jesus said he would do so the Father is glorified (John 14:13). "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). Of course, we mistake what things we should ask for, and we do not receive what we ask for because we ask with the wrong motives (James 4:3). But if we pray for the right things we will receive, "you did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will remain--so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you" (John 15:16). Faith comes from a word meaning to be persuaded.* Persuasion (be persuaded, come to trust) is faith. It is really divine persuasion that always comes from God, not something we can produce on our own.

If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father (John 10:37-38, ESV).

What would the ministry of Jesus have looked like if he had not done miraculous works but only spoke the words from the Father? Why did he not just speak? Why do these works? In this verse, he said he did them so they might believe that he was from the Father. Before he raised Lazarus he asked Martha if she believed he was the resurrection and life. And she said she, yes, but when many people came to see Mary and saw what Jesus did, they believed (John 11:21-45). In one instance, there was belief before and in the other belief afterward. Martha believed before Jesus raised Lazarus but others came to believe when seeing what he had done. 

And Jesus said to him, that if able all is possible of faith. The father of the boy cried out saying I believe, help my unbelief! (Mark 9:23-24)

Does Jesus do works today so that we might believe? I believe that Jesus will give us what we ask so that we believe, "believing because receiving and existing yours" (Mark 11:24). I know this to be true as I was praying for healing, not for myself, and it was received. It was received not because I believed, I was struggling to believe but was crying out to God, and I received, it existed mine, what I prayed for, despite my unbelief. Receiving though brought believing, confidence, strengthening of my faith. "... how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11). Of course, don't just believe me ask for yourself, for your heavenly knows what you need and wants you to believe and know that he loves you deeply.