“Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him [drop the issue, let it go], so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions and wrongdoings [against Him and others].” – Mark 11:25 (AMP)
As I began to minister to a group of church members on one of our mission fields, the Lord led to me raise a prayer point which we prayed for quite some time. The prayer was, “Lord, forgive my sins and help me to forgive others of whatever thing they’ve done against me.” At first, it didn’t make sense but as time went on as we persisted in this prayer, people began to open up offenses they’ve bottled up inside for so long and began to confess that they truly forgive the one who has offended them. What a great time it was.
In Matthew 6, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray in the Kingdom way. The Pharisees, Sadducees and even John the Baptist taught their disciples how to pray and for this reason, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray as well according to Luke 11:1. One important component of prayer that Jesus taught His disciples is FORGIVENESS. Every disciple must understand that forgiving the sins of others is pivotal to receiving answers to prayers.
Jesus knew that offenses would come from every angle and these offenses can birth bitterness in the heart which makes the heart toxic and impossible for God to dwell. Jesus didn’t just teach forgiveness, He lived that life practically. He was not offended at anyone and even when He was hurt unjustly, He chose to forgive. There are many questions that you might want to ask when it comes to the matter of forgiveness but you must understand that you cannot enter God’s presence with bitterness in your heart.
Unforgiveness hinders the answers to prayers. God wants you to forgive men of whatever thing they’ve done wrong to you. Whenever you stand to pray and you remember that you have anything against anyone, what to do first is to pause a bit and then, deliberately, by the help of the Holy Spirit, forgive such person before you move on into prayers. Many Christians live in unforgiveness and that is why they have many prayers unanswered. Choose forgiveness today and experience answers to delayed prayers.
Action Point: Make a list of people who have offended you and you haven’t truly forgiven. Then pray that the Holy Spirit would help you to forgive them one after the other.
Confession: I am saved, redeemed, empowered and forgiven. I receive the Spirit of forgiveness. I let go of every bitterness and anger.
Related Scripture: Matthew 6:12, Mark 11:25-26
Bible Reading: Leviticus 7
