Welcome to The Power of Prayer with Aneel Arana. This is a series about praying with authority, moving mountains, and seeing breakthroughs.

Today, we're exploring prayer that moves mountains.

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever stood in front of a mountain in your life—maybe it's a diagnosis the doctors say is terminal, a financial crisis that seems insurmountable, or a relationship that's completely broken—and felt absolutely powerless? You've prayed about it, cried about it, maybe even fasted about it, but that mountain just sits there, unmoved.

Last week, we discovered where authority in prayer comes from—God's throne—and we saw that you're seated with Christ above every problem in your life. That was the foundation. Today we're taking the next step.

What if I told you that Jesus gave you the authority to speak directly to that mountain and command it to move? Not pray about it. Not hope God does something about it. But actually speak to it yourself.

Today we're exploring three revolutionary truths about mountain-moving prayer. First, we'll discover what mountain-moving faith really is and where it comes from. Second, I'll show you your actual position in relation to every mountain in your life. And third, we'll look at how to practically speak to mountains in Jesus' name with the authority Jesus demonstrated.

Let me show you why your mountains haven't been moving—and how to change that.

PART 1: THE NATURE OF MOUNTAIN-MOVING FAITH

Let me take you to a moment that reveals everything about why our mountains aren't moving. You might remember from last week—the disciples in Matthew 17 encountered a boy tormented by a demon. They did everything right, or so they thought. They used the right words, they commanded in Jesus' name, but nothing happened. The demon didn't budge. The father was desperate. The disciples were embarrassed.

When Jesus arrived and cast out the demon instantly, the disciples pulled Him aside privately. "Why couldn't we drive it out?" they asked.

Listen carefully to Jesus' answer, because there's something here most believers miss. He said, "Because you have so little faith." But then—and this is crucial—He immediately said, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move."

Wait. He just said they had "little" faith, then said all they needed was faith as "small" as a mustard seed. Isn't that a contradiction?

No. This is the revelation that changes everything. By "little faith," Jesus meant weak faith—human-generated, religious effort faith. By "small as a mustard seed," He meant something completely different—faith that's alive, genuine, potent. A mustard seed may be tiny, but it's alive. It has the DNA of something massive within it.

Most believers think, "Well, I must have faith at least as small as a mustard seed, so why aren't my mountains moving?" Here's the truth: you probably don't. What you have is religious faith—faith in faith itself, faith generated by your own effort, faith you're trying to manufacture through positive thinking or emotional intensity.

But that's not mustard seed faith. Mustard seed faith is alive because it comes from God, not from you.

Listen to what Jesus says in Mark 11:23: "Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them."

Notice Jesus doesn't say "pray about the mountain" or "ask Me to move the mountain." He says YOU speak to the mountain. But you can only do that with the right kind of faith.

When Jesus said in Mark 11:22, "Have faith in God," the literal Greek is "Have the faith OF God." Not faith in your faith. Not faith you generate. The faith that belongs to God Himself—the same faith that spoke galaxies into existence.

The disciples' problem wasn't that their faith was too small—it was that their faith came from the wrong source. They were operating in human faith, trying to make something happen through religious effort. That's why the demon wouldn't respond. Demons don't respond to human determination. Mountains don't move because of positive thinking.

Faith isn't something you manufacture. It's something you access. It already exists in the spiritual realm. You're not generating power; you're tapping into power that's already there. Hebrews 11:3 tells us, "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."

Think about this: the same creative power that formed the universe—that's what becomes available when you operate in genuine, God-sourced faith. You're not trying to convince God to move your mountain. You're exercising the authority He's already given you to speak to it yourself.

But it only works with the right kind of faith—not "little" faith that comes from human effort, but genuine faith that comes from God, even if it seems as "small" as a mustard seed.

When you understand this distinction, prayer transforms completely. You stop trying to generate faith and start accessing faith. You stop begging and start declaring. You stop hoping something might happen and start knowing what must happen.

PART 2: YOUR POSITION ABOVE EVERY MOUNTAIN

Now that we understand what faith really is, let me show you what last week's revelation means specifically about the mountains in your life.

Remember—you're seated with Christ in heavenly places, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion. Last week we explored what that position means. Today I want you to see what it means about every mountain you're facing.

Here's the shift: you're not at the bottom of the mountain looking up. You're seated above the mountain looking down.

Think about what this means. Before Christ, you stood at the base of your mountains, overwhelmed by how huge they were. That diagnosis towered over you. That financial crisis dominated your horizon. That broken relationship seemed impossible to fix. But through the cross, everything changed.

You've been lifted up. You've been seated with Christ. You're not beneath your problems—you're above them.

Let me paint you a picture. Imagine standing at the base of Mount Everest. Twenty-nine thousand feet of rock and ice towering over you. You can't even see the summit. It's overwhelming, intimidating, impossible.

Now imagine being lifted up in a helicopter and flown above the peak. Suddenly that mountain that seemed so massive is beneath you. You're looking down at what used to look down at you. That's your position in Christ.

Isaiah 40:15 gives us heaven's perspective: "Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales." If entire nations are just dust from heaven's viewpoint, how small are your individual mountains?

That cancer that seems so terrifying from earth's perspective? From where you're seated, it's dust. That financial mountain that seems impossible? From your position in Christ, it's nothing. That generational curse that's plagued your family for decades? It's already under your feet.

Romans 8:37 says, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Not just conquerors—MORE than conquerors. A conqueror has to fight to win. Someone who's more than a conqueror has already won before the fight starts.

You're not fighting for victory—you're fighting from victory. You're not trying to overcome—you're enforcing what Christ already overcame. The mountain has to move not because you're strong enough, but because Christ already removed its right to remain.

And here's what's crucial—this position is secure. It's based on what Christ did, not what you do. When you're weak, you're still seated above the mountain. When your faith wavers, you haven't lost your seat. Grace establishes this position. Grace maintains it.

PART 3: SPEAKING IN JESUS' NAME

So we understand that mountain-moving faith comes from God. We know we're seated above every mountain. Now let's talk about the key that unlocks everything—Jesus' name.

Remember Mark 11:23—Jesus said you will "say to this mountain." Not pray about it. Not ask God about it. Speak directly TO it. And the power to do that operates through Jesus' name.

Watch how Jesus Himself operated. When the storm threatened to sink the boat, did Jesus have a prayer meeting? Did He say, "Father, if it be Your will, please calm this storm"? No. Mark 4:39 says He spoke directly to the storm: "Quiet! Be still!" And immediately the wind died down and it was completely calm.

When the fig tree didn't produce fruit, Jesus didn't petition the Father about it. He spoke to the tree: "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And that tree withered from the roots.

When Lazarus was dead in the tomb, Jesus didn't pray for God to raise him. He spoke to death itself: "Lazarus, come out!" And death had to release its grip.

This is the pattern—identify the mountain, speak to it with authority, and expect it to obey.

Now watch the early church operate with this same authority—but notice how they do it. They use Jesus' name as their authorization.

In Acts 3, Peter encountered a man who'd been lame from birth. This was a mountain of impossibility—forty years of paralysis. Did Peter organize a prayer chain? Did he say, "Let me pray about this and get back to you"?

No. He looked at that man and declared, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" He spoke directly to the condition using Jesus' name as his credentials, and immediately the man jumped up and started walking.

In Acts 14, Paul saw a crippled man and "called out, 'Stand up on your feet!'" Not a prayer—a command. And the mountain of lifelong disability moved instantly.

You have this same authority. Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Nothing. No disease. No financial crisis. No relationship problem. No addiction. Nothing is impossible when you learn to speak to mountains in Jesus' name with authority.

But let me give you four conditions for using Jesus' name effectively.

First, unwavering faith. James 1:6-7 warns, "The one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not think they will receive anything from the Lord." Mountains respond to certainty, not double-mindedness. When you speak in Jesus' name, believe what you're saying will happen.

Second, persistence. Some mountains move immediately. Others require you to keep speaking until they relocate. Don't speak once and give up. Keep commanding that mountain to move in Jesus' name.

Third, alignment with God's will. 1 John 5:14 says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." Make sure you're moving mountains God wants moved. Jesus' name isn't a tool for personal ambition—it represents His authority and His agenda.

Fourth, right relationships. Mark 11:25 directly connects forgiveness with mountain-moving faith: "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Unforgiveness can block your authority to use Jesus' name effectively.

Remember—Jesus' name isn't a magic formula. The sons of Sceva tried to use Jesus' name like an incantation, and it backfired terribly. Jesus' name works through relationship and alignment with His will. It represents His authority backing your words. Stay connected to Him, and His name carries the full weight of heaven.

CLOSING

Let me bring this all together. Mountain-moving faith doesn't come from you—it comes from God. You access His creative power, not generate your own. Through Christ, you're seated above every mountain in your life, looking down at what used to tower over you. And Jesus has given you His name—the authorization to speak directly to mountains with the faith that commands them to move.

This changes everything about how you approach obstacles. You stop spending all your prayer time telling God about your mountains. Instead, you start telling your mountains about your God—in Jesus' name.

So here's my challenge: What's the biggest mountain in your life right now? That thing that seems absolutely impossible? Stop praying about it for a moment and try something different. Speak to it in Jesus' name. Command it to move. Don't whisper. Don't be tentative. Speak with the authority of someone seated with Christ above that mountain.

And then keep speaking to it. Every day if necessary. Exercise your authority consistently. Because when believers finally understand they can speak to mountains in Jesus' name, everything changes. Sickness has to leave. Lack has to go. Dysfunction has to cease.

Next time, we're going to explore what happens when two or three believers join their faith together—the power of agreement that multiplies everything we've learned and makes the impossible inevitable.

Until then, stop talking to God about your mountains and start talking to your mountains about your God.