Mark 11:25 - Prayer and Forgiveness.
Mark 11:25 (NLT) 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.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Pass Up Payback
I heard about a Sunday school teacher who
asked her class about forgiveness. She said,
Kids, what does a person need to do to receive
forgiveness from God?
There was a short pause, and then a small
boy spoke up and said, You have to sin.
Weve all done that, havent we? If
weve sinned, then we need forgiveness. The good
news is that God promises in 1 John 1:9, If we
confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
wickedness (NLT).
Not only do we need forgiveness when we
sin, but we also need to forgive others who have
wronged us. When weve been hurt, we have a
choice: We can rehearse what happened, or we can
release it.
Forgiveness, however, isnt condoning
or dismissing someones bad behavior. It
isnt even reconciliation, because that isnt
always possible. To forgive means surrendering our
right to get even. It means were not going to
pay that person back, even though they may
deserve it.
Instead, put them in Gods hands,
because Romans 12:19 tells us, Dear friends,
never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous
anger of God. For the Scriptures say, I will
take revenge; I will pay them back, says the
Lord (NLT).
Is there someone youre holding a
grudge against right now? To fail to forgive
actually can bring your prayer life to a halt. Jesus
said, 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 (Mark 11:25 NLT).
Are you bound up in bitterness and
havent been able to forgive? The more you know
about Gods willingness to forgive you, the more
youll be willing to extend that same forgiveness
to others. [Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
One of the hardest commandments of Jesus,
for me, is the order to forgive. Anything.
Anyone. Seventy times seven. But how do we do this
when whatever wrong we've suffered is raw - and
our feelings still fresh? Worse yet, probably,
when the other person isn't sorry?
Corrie ten Boom helped me with this when
she wrote, Forgiveness is an act of the will,
and the will can function regardless of the
temperature of the heart." I think the idea here is that
we can separate our feelings from our wills -
and sometimes we must. I tend to want to feel
whatever I'm doing. To feel love when I'm supposed to
be loving. To feel compassion when I'm supposed
to be kind. To feel bold when I need to be
brave. And it's nice when our feelings match up
with our will. But it's not always going to be
that way. One time, in the midst of postpartum, I
didn't feel loving when my baby wanted to eat. I
felt like staying in bed and sleeping. Another
time, I almost threw up when I cleaned a cancer
wound on my aunt's leg. I almost never feel bold
when it's time to be brave. I just make myself do
it anyway. Forgiveness can be like this - only
harder. We feel like we cannot forgive someone who
has broken our hearts. Even if they are sorry,
but especially when they're not. But Jesus is
greater than our feelings. He provides us the power
for any commandment He gives. And often, it's
the power of the will. Do what's right in your
will, and eventually your feelings will follow. by
Gwen Ford Faulkenberry
Faith Step: What name comes immediately
to mind when you think of forgiving? Will
yourself to drop the issue you have with that person,
even if the person is you. Don't worry about how
you feel. For today, just forgive. [Mornings
With Jesus 2019 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
CLOSING THOUGHT
If you haven't forgiven someone who has
wronged you, it may limit the power of your prayers.
Not because God doesn't hear you or requires you
to jump through hoops but because of the
condition of your heart. You can't say you love God
while you hate your brother.
When my kids were small, they loved
playing with Webkinz, these little stuffed toys they
could play with on the computer. My kids were
addicted to them, so we came up with rules about when
they could play - usually after they had first
completed their normal chores, as well as some
additional "Webkinz reward" chores. One day I was
working from home and saw my kids being mean to each
other. They had turned sibling rivalry into a
spiritual gift!
After they had been acting out all day,
they said, "We did our chores and earned our
rewards, Daddy. Can we play Webkinz now?"
I said, "No, you can't. Because you were
fighting, your lack of relationship and love trumps
your obedience on the chores. You're not getting
your coupons today because you haven't been
showing love to each other."
"But that's not fair!" they argued.
As a father, the way they treat each
other matters to me.
With your heavenly Father, the way you
treat one another matters to God. How can we
receive forgiveness from God over and over and over,
yet be unwilling to forgive those who have
wronged us? Who do you need to forgive today?
Father, you know who I need to forgive in
order to make things right - with them and with
you. Give me the strength to show them the same
grace and mercy you show me. [Daily Power by Craig
Groeschel]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Mark 11:25, 26 - The Prayer of Faith
Requires Forgiveness.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2009/20090310-0930.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
