By Bishop Wale Oke

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven (Luke 6:37).

File: Image of Jesus Christ

One major hindrance to answered prayers in the church today is unforgiveness.  There are so many people in church who pray but do not receive the answers they expect from God, because they still habour unforgiveness in their hearts against one person or another.  Jesus our Lord said that if you forgive, you shall be forgiven.  He also made it clear that if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you your trespasses.  And you can be sure that if your sins are not forgiven, your prayers cannot be answered (Mark 11:24-25).

The urge to get even when we are wronged is innate.  It is only through the cross of Calvary that it can be crucified so we can be released to forgive others their sin against us.  Extending true forgiveness to those who hurt us cannot be done in the flesh.  We need the help of the Holy Spirit and He is ever available to assist us to release mercy and forgiveness to our fellow human being.

The miracle of God’s grace for all (2)(Opens in a new browser tab)

Who is that fellow that has hurt you so deep you are still bitter?  So as long as you continue to keep malice your prayer shall be hindered.

Today, ask the Holy Spirit to help you  from your heart to release those people in true forgiveness. Reach out to them and make peace.  The Bible says that as much as it lies within you, you should live peaceably with all men (Romans 12).  You should not let the sun go down with that unforgiveness still lurking around within you.  Forgive and move on with your life.  May you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit today.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors (Matthew 6:12).

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