Verse of the Day 5/15

Verse of the Day 5/15

Mark 11:25-26 And whenever you stand praying,^[a] if you find that you carry something in your heart against another person, release him and forgive him^[b] so that your Father in heaven will also release you and forgive you of your faults. ²⁶ But if you will not release forgiveness, don't expect your Father in heaven to release you from your misdeeds."    The Passion Translation (TPT)

In reading this morning's verses two things; two words, should stand out.  Prayer and forgiveness.  Verse 25 starts out by saying "whenever", it assumes that prayer should be a normal function of a God follower.  It shows that we respect; trust; honor; and have faith in Him and His power to answer them.  If you asked a fellow Christian, when was the last time you prayed, hopefully, you'd here "today" or perhaps "last night" as a response.  Then, if you were to ask, when was the last time that you forgave someone?, you'd  probably have a different answer.

The Passion Translation talks about "carrying something in your heart against a person".  It is something that you carry with you and it can get in the way.  The verses tell us to release that burden by forgiving.  The lack of forgiving can stand in the way of our prayers.

Are you carrying something against someone today, holding something against them or over their head?  Forgive them.  Seek God's help with the attitude of your heart.  Release that burden and open up those lines of communication with God. 

Release, let it go.  You'll have a better day, a better prayer life if you do.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Mark 11:20-26 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

²⁰ Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. ²¹ And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."

²² So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. ²³ Forassuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Forgiveness and Prayer

²⁵ "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 [a]But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."