Forgiveness and prayer are some of the most important aspects of the Christian faith. In prayer, we ask the Lord to forgive us, and the Lord lifts the burden of sin off us. No day goes by that we don’t need to pray and ask the Lord to forgive our sins. The Lord is patient as we come to Him, asking Him again to forgive what we have done wrong.
We can thank the Holy Spirit for convicting us of sin so we can come to the Lord for forgiveness. Think how much the Lord desires to forgive you when He prompts you to ask for forgiveness. The Lord knows how harmful unconfessed sin is in our lives. Perhaps the Lord is prompting you to ask for forgiveness as you read this or to go to a person you have hurt to ask them to forgive you.
The Danger of Unforgiveness
When I don’t forgive, I am hurting only myself. Unfortunately, people of faith can give satan legal claim in their lives by unforgiveness. The good news is that forgiveness removes satan’s grip on our lives. Our Lord says that God forgives us in the same measure we forgive others. Matthew 6:14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. [1]
No matter what someone has done to you, there is no special right granted by God not to forgive. Sometimes, forgiving someone in our strength is difficult, but that is where the Lord comes in. When we can’t forgive on our own, we can ask the Lord to help us.Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. [2] If you struggle to forgive someone, call on the Lord’s help and let Him help you do what is impossible in your strength. Our Lord loves to help and free us from sins that hold us back.
Being Set Free
I remember a teenager in our church doing something disrespectful in front of the congregation during worship. The following Sunday, he humbly went before the congregation, asking for their forgiveness. He was set free that day in many ways as the Lord did a mighty work in His life. His repentant heart allowed God to move him forward in faith.
Jesus tells us in Mark 11:25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. [3] Jesus forgave us when He died on the cross and paid the price for all our sins. In turn, the Lord commands us to forgive others so that we can receive forgiveness from our heavenly Father. Our heavenly Father asks us to forgive for our benefit. Wow! That is the Lord’s amazing grace.
To learn more about the connection between forgiveness and prayer, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-fig-tree-and-the-temple
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.