When You Stand Praying...

 

When You Stand Praying

 Mark 11:22-26

22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 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. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

This is one of the most popular portions of the scripture most short cut Christians love to quote, particularly vs 24. But, they forget to realize that the key to unlocking this promise of God resides in vs 25.

Thanks to pride or shame or apathy, we don't try to forgive, ask for forgiveness, and restore those relationships. God sacrificed His Son so that He can forgive us. While expecting God to forgive our heinous sins, we might not take five minutes to reconcile with someone no more a sinner than we are.

Talking about forgiveness can be one of the most difficult conversations we as Christians can have, because we want to forgive on our own terms. We want to forgive in convenience or when it suits our own needs.

Forgiveness releases the power, of the love, of Jesus Christ into our hearts, and lives. We grow, from being spiritual midgets, to spiritual giants, when we genuinely forgive.

One of the most quoted sentences about forgiveness is “I can forgive but I can’t forget”.

God’s standard is summed up in Psalm 103:12. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgression from us. 

Shalom!