Move That Mountain!

When frustration feels like a wall you can’t break through, God invites you to respond not with despair, but with faith. This article reveals three biblical keys—praise, persistence, and planting faith—that unlock breakthrough even when the mountain won’t move.

3 Keys for Transforming Frustration into Faith

Have you ever felt like you were banging your head against a brick wall, trying everything you know, yet nothing seems to move? Maybe you’ve faced a need that went unmet, or prayed a long time for an answer that never came. Perhaps it’s a struggle in your health, finances, or family that’s left you feeling stuck, spinning your wheels but going nowhere.

Maybe that’s where you are right now. A mountain stands in your way, stubborn and unshakable no matter how hard you push.

Friend, I have a message today. As I’ve prayed, I see a picture of you standing before a massive door, a keychain dangling in your hand. You’ve already tried key after key, each one turning just enough to raise your hopes, then refusing to open the lock.

But just when you’re about to walk away, the Lord places three more keys in your palm. They’re old and rusty, clearly unused for some time. Yet when you slide them into the lock, one after another, something shifts. The tumblers click, the hinges groan, and suddenly the door swings open wide. Access is granted. God’s presence floods in, and with it, the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for.

So what are these three powerful keys that can open doors and move mountains, keys we often overlook when the way seems blocked? As I’ve prayed, the Lord showed me that each one begins with the letter P.

1. Praise

As we celebrate Easter next month, we need to remember that gratitude is not just a seasonal tradition or a once-a-year attitude. The psalmist reminds us that thankfulness and praise are powerful keys to the very gates of the Lord:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name (Psalm 100:4).

Take a moment to let these words sink in. If you’ve wondered why the gateway to some new opportunity hasn’t opened for you yet, it’s time to start praising God and giving Him thanks!

I meet many people who tell me they will gladly praise the Lord when they receive their breakthrough—but they are missing an important point:

• King Jehoshaphat sent out the worshipers ahead of the army and won a resounding victory (2 Chronicles 20:1-30).
• Paul and Silas started praising God at midnight after being severely beaten and chained to a prison wall. Their worship resulted in an earthquake that broke every chain and set them free (Acts 16:25-34).
• Paul said when we make our petitions to God with thanksgiving even before the answer comes, we’ll experience “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:6-7).

If you are facing frustration in some part of your life today, this first key is critical to your breakthrough. Stop whatever else you’re doing, and enter God’s presence with praise and thanksgiving!

2. Persist

For most of our forefathers, persistence was a way of life. They didn’t know anything else. Without perseverance, they were keenly aware that they would never survive life’s challenges.

However, things are so much different today. Many people grow up feeling entitled to a fairly easy life. Instead of developing persistence and tenacity, our culture opts for microwave ovens and drive-through lines at fast-food restaurants. Whatever happened to character traits like patience and delayed gratification?

Jesus taught that God answers prayer. But He never said the breakthroughs would always be quick or easy. In fact, He warned that the opposite would be more likely.

The Amplified Bible brings this out well:

Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7).

You see, although your Heavenly Father loves you and wants to meet your needs, He’s not your personal genie, ready to grant your requests as soon as you snap your fingers. He says your season of blessing will surely come, but then adds that you must not “give up” as you wait (Galatians 6:9).

I love Jesus’ story in Luke 18:1-8 about the persistent widow and the unjust judge. Of course, God is nothing like this stubborn judge. But Jesus used that stark image to demonstrate that our perseverance in prayer can win the day, despite any delays or obstacles.

If you’ve been waiting a long time for some prayer to be answered, I understand your frustration. But don’t give up, my friend! Persistence may be exactly the key you need right now.

3. Plant

Recently I’ve been looking again at an often-quoted promise from Jesus:

For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you (Matthew 17:20).

What is the Master saying to us here? First, notice that we all face “mountains” in our lives at times—seemingly immovable obstacles blocking us from the abundant life God wants us to experience. So if you’re facing one of those mountains today, know that you’re not alone!

But what does a “mustard seed” of faith have to do with moving a mountain that’s standing in our way? Surely a tiny seed is no match for a massive mountain!

Yet this points to the crux of Jesus’ message here, with two important points:

Your SEED doesn’t have to be bigger than the mountain, because your GOD is always bigger than the mountain.

But in order for your seed to be effective, it has to be activated through a step of FAITH.

In another passage, Jesus taught that a mustard seed, when planted, always GROWS (Mark 4:30-32). Instead of complaining that your faith isn’t big enough, go ahead and put your little faith to work and watch it grow! Speak to your mountain as the Lord instructed you.

Doing the Impossible

Jesus ended Matthew 17:20 with a stunning promise for those who dare to activate even a mustard seed of faith: “NOTHING will be impossible for you.”

That’s wonderful news, isn’t it? Even when you’re staring at a mountain that refuses to move … Jesus says there is a way through. Victory comes when you put your faith to work.

And as you plant your seed of faith, don’t forget the other keys too. Praise the Lord in advance for your breakthrough, then persist until your prayer is answered.

Praise … persist … plant in faith. Together these keys unlock the impossible.

And remember you’re not in this alone … I am praying for you as you take these bold steps toward the breakthrough God has for you!

Your partner in reaching the lost,

David Cerullo

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