I was really struck by this scripture this morning from Mark 11:
19 That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city. 20 The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. 21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, "Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!"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."
It's amazing that Jesus starts off talking about physical stuff, but it's dependent on the spiritual. So, I see this chain of dependency:
- forgive others
- believe you've received it
- request for physical intervention
Wow! It seems like forgiveness is God's top priority! I wonder why. Oh, maybe only because He sent His one and only Son to die and pay the price for our sins so He could forgive us!!! If He has forgiven us of an infinite debt, then we certainly should turn around and forgive others of finite debts.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word that speaks so clearly. Lord, I pray that you will show me where I have not forgiven someone in my heart, and I pray that you will lead me in a lifestyle of forgiveness - in honor of your eternal work of redemption. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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