HINDRANCES TO PRAYER
------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON #4: UNFORGIVENESS
TEXT: Matt. 6:14-15
REVIEW:
What was our lesson last week?
Unbelief.
When Jesus would ask, “believest thou that I am able to do this” what was he looking for?
A seed of faith from which a miracle could grow.
How does Jesus want us to come to him in prayer?
In faith.
What is the great thing about faith?
You don’t have to understand every thing.
READ TEXT:
Matt 6:14-15
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
(KJV)
Another hindrance to our prayer is an unwillingness to forgive others
It is interesting that this scripture follows right after Jesus gives the disciples the model prayer “the Lords prayer”
They have been watching Him pray
They realize something is missing in their prayers so they ask Him ‘teach us to pray’
- Show us how to pray like you do
- We need some direction in our prayers
- Our prayers are not like yours
So Jesus gives them the model prayer
Matt 6:9-13
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
(KJV)
Then He gives them this text
What He is saying here is
- You can pray all you want
- You can have all the right words
- You can know all the catch phrases
If you are not willing to forgive others, God will not hear your prayers.
But unless there is forgiveness in your heart
- Unless you have a right spirit
- Unless you have a right heart
- Unless you have an attitude of forgiveness
God will not hear you
For some of us this is not an easy thing
- There are wrongs that have been done against us
- There are things that have been done to us
- Words have been spoken
Mark 11:25-26
25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
(KJV)
If your prayers are being hindered ask yourself
is there
- Unforgiveness in my heart?
- Bitterness in my life?
Am I holding a grudge against a brother or sister?
These things will stand in the way of your prayers being answered
Forgiveness is not an issue of right or wrong
- We may be right
- There may have been a true injustice done to us
- We may have a legitimate complaint
- We may have truly been wronged
Being right is never an excuse to not forgive.
Jesus is right to judge us
He would be right to send us all to hell
Rom 3:23
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death;
He was willing to forgive us
and He asks that we be willing to forgive others
We have to be willing to lay aside our injustices
We have to be willing to say
- I’m sorry
- I forgive you
- Will you forgive me?
Sometimes the only way to forgive is by asking for forgiveness.
WHAT !!!
You mean I have to say I am sorry even when I am right?
Sometimes this is the only way to open the door of forgiveness
Many times the other person
The one that has wronged us
- Or cheated us
- Or lied to us
- Or violated us in some way
They feel that they too are in the right
They beleive you are the one in the wrong
If you go to them and say “I forgive you”
It sounds as if you are casting blame
Not only will they not forgive but it may open up a whole new argument.
The proper way is to go to them with a spirit of humbleness
Saying I’m sorry
- Saying I’m wrong even when I may feel I’m right is humbling
But if you go with this spirit, there will be forgiveness
That forgiveness may not come from them
Some people don’t want to forgive
- They may laugh at you
- They may mock you
- They may not forgive you
But if you go with a right spirit you will leave with forgiveness
- If not from them
- Then from God
After you go to them, it is up to them what they will do with it
Some will forgive you
- The moment you open your mouth
- The moment you say those words
- I’m sorry
- Will you forgive me
Their hearts will soften and they will ask you for forgiveness
as well.
I have seen relationships restored, lives put back together
all because someone was willing to take that first step and say I’m sorry.
Jesus did this same thing for us
- He took the first step
Rom 5:8
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
He was blameless
He wasn’t the one that was wrong but He was willing to take our sins on Himself so that we might find redemption
1 Pet 1:18-19
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
What we are talking about is an attitude of the heart
- Is your heart right
- Is your spirit right
Or is it filled with
- Anger
- Wrath
- Bitterness
Rom 12:18
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
We are talking about living in peace with each other
- With your fellow Christians
- With your brother and sisters
- Fellow disciples
It is true
It’s a fact of life
- You will not be every bodies’ best friend
- You may not even like every body else in the church
- Some personalities just clash
But there still needs to be peace between you
Nothing worse than a church that is:
- Always fighting
- Always bickering
- Always some kind of strife
Example: Abraham and Lot
Gen 13:7-9
7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
There is strife between them
They are arguing
- You always get the best watering spot
- Pastor Abram likes you better
- I’m not being treated fairly
Abraham was the leader
- He had been saved the longest
- He had been in the church the longest
He could have told Lot:
- To take a hike
- To control his family
- To tell his wife to shut up
- To quit talking about his wife
But he doesn’t, he has a right heart
- A right spirit
- A right attitude
We also see Lot’s spirit revealed here
If his heart was right
- He would have deferred back to Abraham
- Or he would have chosen the harder path
But he makes his choice
The point is Abraham went to Lot even when he didn’t have to
I have seen quarrels and bitterness start in the church
I have seen families begin to fight
Or groups begin to fight
- I have seen them intentionally take someone’s seat
- They know they always sit there
- So they get to church early
- Not to pray
- Not to lay a hold of God
- But to get someone else’s seat
Ps 34:14
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Ps 133:1
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Matt 5:9
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
How are your relationships?
- Is there peace in your life
- Is there peace in your spirit
Or are you full of
- Bitterness
- Anger
- Strife
If you want God to answer your prayers there must be a spirit of forgiveness at work in your life.
God can only bless a man once he is forgiven and to be forgiven you must be willing to forgive.
We must forgive
We must lay aside our vengeful nature
That “get even” spirit
We must lay down that spirit that rejoices when our brother stumbles and not only lay it down, but be willing to help our brother up.
Luke 6:28
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
There is a promise for all those who will
- Serve God with a right heart
- Abide in him
- Lay aside their strife’s
John 15:7
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
