Scripture
24I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. 25But 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 11:24-25
Observation
Everyone always quotes verse 24 about praying, believing and receiving, but hardly anyone notices the essential follow up to that powerful promise. God is not a slot machine and prayer is not a formula, but there is a sequence of importance Jesus teaches here in this passage. Action must precede the asking. Specifically, the act of forgiveness. I call this the posture of the open handed prayer. If I come before the Lord expecting to receive something but I’m clinging to a grudge, hurt, pain, resentment towards another person then I won’t actually be able to receive anything because my hands are already full. So, I have to look at my clenched fist and open my self up to forgive that person in the same way Jesus has forgiven me. Jesus is making it clear that when we come before Him in prayer, even if we are physically alone in the room while praying, He sees a whole crowd of people with us, because He sees our whole heart and life through a fish eye lense.
Application
Over the years I’ve talked with men who are discouraged with their prayer life and have sometimes stopped praying altogether because “it doesn’t work”. I’ll ask them, “how are you treating your wife, kids, co-workers, friends, mother-in-law?” This question often results in a confused look. What does that have to do with the prayers not getting answered? Everything actually. Peter builds off of the connection Jesus makes between forgiveness offered and answered prayers. 1 Peter 3:7 states, “The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God’s grace, you’re equals. Treat your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don’t run aground.” The priority of actions before the asking obviously applies to every relationship, not just a husband and wife. For example, in Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus calls us to walk out reconciliation with those we have strained relationships with before we do anything else, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Over and over again we see that this process of prayer isn’t just asking, it’s acting. Or, as I heard this morning, “I can’t lean on my shovel and pray for hole.” We may come to Jesus with a laundry list of things we need from Him and yet He makes sure we know what’s at the top of His list for us- Forgiveness and reconciliation. So, if our prayers aren’t getting answered it’s not because Jesus isn’t hearing us, it’s because we aren’t hearing Him! We keep waiting for answers and He keeps waiting for actions of humility.
Prayer
Thank You Jesus for forgiving me of all my sins. Because You cleared the way through Your sacrifice I can come boldly before Your throne of grace this morning with boldness and free of the judgment I so deserve. Yet, what kind of hypocrite am I if I receive Your forgiveness freely but refuse to offer it freely? Show me any place where I have been holding on to a grudge or resentment. Show me how I can serve the relationships in my life the way You have serve me. Reveal any place where I can walk out the ministry of reconciliation in my life so my prayers will be unhindered by my resentments.
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