Neville Goddard on Mark 11:24

Executive Summary

According to Neville Goddard, the scripture Mark 11:24 reveals the fundamental law of consciousness: imagining creates reality. The verse is not about asking for something in the future, but about preparing for its reception by believing it has already been given. This is a psychological act of assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled. This law is impartial, placing no moral judgment on the desire itself. The key is to shift one's consciousness into the state of the desire being an accomplished fact, which then directs the subconscious mind to construct the means for its physical expression.

Key Concepts

• The only condition required for prayer to be answered is to believe you have already received your desire.
• Prayer is the act of assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled.
• Accepting the wish as an accomplished fact impresses the subconscious mind, which then finds the means for its realization.
• This principle is the basis for the statement, "Imagining creates reality."
• The law is impersonal and does not judge desires as good or bad; the choice is entirely up to the individual.
• The practice of forgiveness, defined as changing your belief about another to see them as they wish to be, is linked to this process.

Detailed Explanation

Neville Goddard explains that Mark 11:24, "Whatsoever things ye desire, when ye pray believe that you have received them, and ye shall have them," is not a religious platitude but a statement of a precise, scientific law. The critical element is not the act of asking, but the state of mind in which one prays. Effective prayer requires preparing for reception by entering a state of relaxation and receptivity, and the only condition for success is to believe that the prayer is already realized.

This belief is achieved by assuming the feeling that would be yours if you were already in possession of your objective. When you accept the wish as an accomplished fact in your imagination, you impress the subconscious part of your consciousness. This psychological state then produces the corresponding physical fact. Neville states that his core teaching, "imagining creates reality," is derived directly from this scriptural passage. To apply it, one must persist in an imaginal state that reason and the senses currently deny, mentally viewing the world from the perspective of the fulfilled desire.

The power described in this verse is absolute and places no limits or moral conditions on the user's desire. The law does not discern whether a desire is good or bad; the choice of what to create is left entirely to the individual. Furthermore, Neville connects this verse to the subsequent passages on forgiveness. He interprets forgiveness not as a verbal act of pardoning, but as a mental one. To forgive someone is to release any negative conception you hold about them—such as a belief in their sickness or poverty—and instead, believe them to be the person they desire to be.

Important Quotes

Your prayer must be answered if you assume the feeling that would be yours were you already in possession of your objective.

— Feeling Is The Secret

If I hold some thing against another, be it a belief of sickness, poverty , or anything else, I must loose it and let it go, not by using words of denial but by believing him to be what he desires to be.

— Remain Faithful To Your Idea

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive it, and you will.

— Summary

Related Concepts

• Law of Assumption: The entire interpretation of Mark 11:24 is an expression of this law. The core instruction is to assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled.
• Imagination: The source material explicitly states that one's own human imagination is the creative power (God) that fulfills the desire. Believing you have received is an imaginal act.
• Consciousness: The teaching relies on the dual nature of consciousness. The conscious mind chooses the desire and assumes the belief, which then impresses the infinitely greater subconscious mind to produce the result.
• Prayer: Neville redefines prayer not as supplication, but as the art of assuming the state of the wish fulfilled. It is about preparing for reception, not asking for a future event.
• States: To believe you have received is to psychologically move into a new state of consciousness—the state of the wish fulfilled—and view the world from that state.

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: Prayer is about asking an external deity for a future favor.
  Correction: Prayer is an internal act of assuming a psychological state. It is about believing you have already received your desire, not that you will receive it in the future.
• Misunderstanding: God will only grant desires that are considered "good" or morally right.
  Correction: The law described is impartial and places no limits on desire. The creative power does not judge; the choice of what to imagine is entirely up to the individual.
• Misunderstanding: Forgiveness is about verbally pardoning someone for a wrong.
  Correction: Forgiveness is a mental act of changing your conception of another person. It means releasing any negative belief you hold about them and instead imagining them as they desire to be.

Practical Applications

To apply the principle of Mark 11:24, first identify a clear desire. Then, enter a relaxed and receptive state of mind, similar to the feeling just before sleep. In this state, you must assume the feeling of your wish already being an accomplished fact. Do not think of your desire, but think from it. Mentally look at your world as you would if your desire were true right now. Persist in this assumption, and the subconscious mind will orchestrate the events necessary for its physical fulfillment. As part of this process, if you hold any negative beliefs about another person, you must release them by believing that person to be what they desire to be.

Frequently Asked Questions

According to Neville's interpretation of Mark 11:24, what is the single most important condition for prayer?

The only condition required is that you believe your prayer is already realized. You must assume the feeling that would be yours if you were already in possession of your objective.

Does this law only work for 'good' things?

No. The sources state that the law is impersonal and places no limits on your desire. The choice of what to create is entirely yours, as the creative power does not judge the desire as good or bad.

How can I believe I have received something when my senses deny it?

You must persist in the imaginal state of the wish fulfilled. This involves mentally looking at the world differently, as you would see it after the fulfillment, even when your physical senses show the contrary.

How does forgiveness relate to this teaching?

Neville interprets the forgiveness mentioned alongside Mark 11:24 as a mental act. It means to release any negative conception you hold about another person (like poverty or sickness) and, instead, believe them to be the person they desire to be.