Blocking your own Blessing. Pt 1

24For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you. 25Whenever you Standing was a common posture for prayer among the Jews (see Matt 6:5). 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]. 26Early mss do not contain this verse.[But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.”]

Mark 11:24-26 AMP

We should never ask God to do anything for us if we don’t 1st have the faith to believe that he CAN and Will do it. Faith is the basis for all prayers, but it goes beyond this. Here Jesus adds another layer to the requirements of prayer; forgiveness. Prayer without forgiveness is pointless, because you can’t ask God to give you what you refuse to give others when it is in your power to do so. When we are holding onto unforgiveness, it is impossible to lay everything at the altar which prayer requires us to do. Prayer is humbling, it should be pure, and it must be honest. Unforgiveness is us coming to God, but refusing to humble ourselves because we refuse to relinquish a wrong, offense, or transgression that we feel has occurred. We can’t stand/kneel/bow before him honestly or purely when we try to hide and/or hold on to unforgiveness which blocks our prayer. In this regard before we go to God in prayer for our needs/wants/desires, we should first go to him in prayer for the strength to release unforgiveness which then would allow us to receive the forgiveness from God that we need to come before his presence with boldness to ask of him that which we need.

Reflection Time

Are your prayers blocked because you refuse to let go of your right to be mad, or offended regarding a wrong that has been done to you? Do you desire God more than vengeance? Instead of taking your list of needs/wants/desires to God at this moment, write a text, call, email, skype, etc someone that you need to forgive. Afterwards, regardless of their acceptance or refusal of your forgiveness, pray to God and thank him for forgiving you when you didn’t deserve it.