Answered Prayer and Supernatural Forgiveness
David W Palmer
(Mark 11:25–26 NKJV) “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. {26} But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Directly after giving us his famous faith teaching of Mark 11:22–23 and his amazing prayer promise of verse 24, Jesus makes the above statement. In the context of promising to provide what we ask and desire when we pray, Jesus said that our receiving of God’s forgiveness—and therefore our confidence and boldness with him when we pray—is greatly affected by our own willingness to forgive others.
Our Lord said, “If you have anything against anyone, forgive him.” In this passage, he doesn’t say to wait until they prove that they have repented or even simply say they repent or apologise; he just says to forgive them. How does this work?
To understand, we first look at the way God forgives us. We are not able to receive Father’s forgiveness without repenting and asking for forgiveness:
(1 John 1:9 NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Yet, Father and Jesus enacted the plan of redemption, paid the sin price, and made our forgiveness possible well in advance of us repenting or asking for it. As a result, their heart’s attitude is now able to be always ready to forgive and forget. If we simply confess our sins, we can benefit from the forgiveness that is already in their heart for us and receive it. In other words, God prepared everything necessary for us to receive the forgiveness he bought and paid for. This, I believe, is the attitude he wants us to take towards those who have sinned against us, hurt us, or have done something that would lead to: “if you have anything against anyone.”
Are you ready to instantly reconcile to those who have done you wrong if they were to appear before you right now merely verbalising repentance?
(Luke 17:3–4 NKJV) “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. {4} And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
