PRAYER AND FORGIVENESS

Mark 11:25

  1. Intro.
    1. these words follow a great prayer promise - Mark 11:23-24
    2. the thought leading to the promise is "have faith in God" - Mark 11:22
      1. prayer depends on a right relationship with God - "have faith"
      2. our text also shows that prayer is dependent on a right relationship with man - "forgive"
    3. the key to "having faith" and "forgiving" is love
    4. power in prayer depends on a right relationship with God and man, which is based on love
    5. Jesus often taught that these relationships were important
      1. when offering a gift and a brother has ought against thee - Matt. 5:23-24
      2. Lord’s prayer, "forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors"
    6. disobedience to the law of love is a great sin, even among those that pray
      1. it is the cause of feebleness in prayer
      2. when we love those that God loves, we have great access and power in prayer
  2. we need to have a forgiving disposition - Mark 11:25
    1. God’s full and free forgiveness is the rule for our forgiveness toward man
      1. reluctant and half hearted forgiveness is not forgiveness
      2. reluctant and half hearted forgiveness will be God’s rule with us
    2. God’s forgiving love is the bases for answered prayer
      1. when His love possesses our heart, we pray in faith
      2. when His love possesses our heart, we live in love
    3. God’s forgiving nature needs to be our nature (caused by love)
      1. it will keep us from wounded pride
      2. it will keep us from a desire to maintain our rights
      3. it will keep us from rewarding the offender as he deserves
      4. it will keep us from a hasty temper and sharp words
    4. our forgiveness of man is the evidence of God’s love in us
  3. prayer and daily living = communion with God
    1. the hour of prayer is a small part of our life
    2. God judges the attitude of prayer by the attitude of daily living
    3. the tone of our daily life is the basis on which God judges what we really are and really desire, not our feeling in prayer
    4. failure to interact with man rightly, will cause a failure in prayer
    5. effectual prayer comes from a life surrendered to the will and love of God
    6. effectual prayer is not according to what we try to be while in prayer
  4. in our daily life, the one thing that is most important is love
    1. the spirit of forgiveness is the spirit of love
      1. because God is love, He forgives
      2. when we have the love of God dwelling in us fully, we can forgive as God forgives
    2. love to mankind...
      1. is evidence of our love for God - I John 4:20-21
      2. will give us confidence and assurance that our prayers will be heard - I John 3:18-23
    3. faith nor work will profit, if we have not love
    4. love proves the reality of our faith
    5. a right relationship with God and man are the conditions for effectual prayer
    6. love should be the cause for all our labors for Christ
    7. love is the only soil in which faith can take root and grow
    8. real love is the secret for successful prayer