21 Days of Prayer & Fasting | Day 9

In the parable of the unforgiving debtor (Matt. 18:21-35), Jesus draws a parallel between God’s immense forgiveness toward all of our sins and our response of unforgiveness toward our fellow man who has sinned against us. In these verses, He implores that the Father will not take kindly to those who do not forgive.

Jesus says,
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”
Matthew 5:23–24

An unforgiving heart stands in the way of communication with God. It is a sign of arrogance and is the height of hypocrisy that we as Christians receive God’s forgiveness with open arms, but are very restrictive in forgiving those who are truly repentant of sinning against us. This is why Jesus asks us to leave our sacrifice and atonement right where they are and first take the
time to forgive, before offering our gifts to God.

In today’s world, a lot of unforgiveness exists because the spirit of offense stirs up our hearts, and we decide to hold on to unforgiveness. But the truth is that your unforgiveness can stand in the way of your prayer…and your unforgiveness can hinder your prayers from effecting their purpose.

Prayer Challenge:

Pray today that God will reveal to you the people that you struggle to forgive. Meditate on Jesus’ sacrifice for your sins and God’s forgiveness towards you; pray today and ask God to help you forgive those who have sinned against you.