And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. Jesus puts forgiveness as a prerequisite for authentic prayer.
It's not: forgive so that you feel better. It's not: forgive to be righteous. It's: forgive so that you can actually pray. So that you can be in relationship with God. Unforgiveness creates a barrier that prayer can't penetrate. I've noticed this in my own life—I can say words of prayer, but there's no presence if I'm holding resentment. The forgiveness isn't about letting someone off the hook. It's about freeing myself so prayer can be real.
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