The Significance of Forgiveness in our Prayer Life

The Three Most Important Components of Prayer

1. Forgiveness - vertical and Horizontal

2. Faith - For without faith is is impossible to please God.

3. Faithful - It is required of a man to be found faithful

PUSH - Pray Until Something Happens

Forgiveness - the foundation upon which we build everything - the starting point.

1. The Great gift of forgiveness

1 John 1:9 NLT

9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Ephesians 1:7 NLT

7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

Colossians 2:13–14 NLT

13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

Psalm 32:1–2 NLT

1 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

Psalm 103:2–3 NLT

2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. 3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.

Psalm 130:3–5 NLT

3 Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? 4 But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. 5 I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.

Isaiah 55:6–7 NLT

6 Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

Psalm 25:16–18 NLT

16 Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. 17 My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! 18 Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins.

Psalm 86:5–7 NLT

5 O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. 6 Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; hear my urgent cry. 7 I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me.

Isaiah 55:6–7 NLT

6 Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

2. Forgiveness Opens up God’s Ears to our Prayers

Isaiah 51:17 NLT

17 Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem! You have drunk the cup of the Lord’s fury. You have drunk the cup of terror, tipping out its last drops.

Isaiah 59:2 NLT

2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.

3. Forgiveness is a divine gift to be shared

Luke 25:34

Matthew 6:9–13 NLT

9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

4. Forgiveness is a major component of effective prayer shown in 3 places.

Matthew 6:12 NLT

12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.

Matthew 6:14–15 NLT

14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Mark 11:22–26 NLT

22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. 25 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.”

Matthew 18:19–35 NLT

19 “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” 21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” 22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! 23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. 26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. 28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. 31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. 35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

5. Unforgiveness not only hinders our prayers

It destroys a marriage

It destroys a family

It will separate & destroy a church

6. God hates unforgiveness based on Matt 18.

It is wickedness in his sight

It makes God angry against us.

It releases us into the hands of tormentors. It brings a curse upon us and takes us from the realm of blessing.

7. How to forgive Like God does.

Have Mercy

Psalm 103:11 NLT

11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

Micah 6:8 NLT

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Matthew 18:33 NLT

33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’

Have Compassion

Psalm 103:13 NLT

13 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

Lower Your Expectations

Psalm 103:14 NLT

14 For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.

8. Three things to Remember

The Divine Leveler

Romans 3:23 NLT

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

He that is without sin cast the first stone

John 8:7 NLT

7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

Judge not least you be judged

Matthew 7:1–2 NLT

1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

Remember your own dusty self

Ephesians 4:31–32 NLT

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.