Ingredients of Effective Prayer (8)

This is the 12th post in a series on Praying Effectively. We talked about what effective prayers are and in the most recent post we learned that being able to pray effectively requires that we be in right standing with God. If you are just joining me, please see the end for a special note before continuing!


(8). Showing forgiveness and pursuing right relationships are crucial for unhindered prayers.

Related to the previous point, a person of righteous character is a person who will be bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit. These include faith and love. Faith works by love.

Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Love includes forgiveness and mercy and entails walking in right relationships with others, particularly in the body of Christ.

Mark 11:24-26
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Matthew 6:14-15
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

1 Peter 3:7
Husbands, likewise, dwell with them [wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

1 Peter 3:8-12
Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For
“He who would love life
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
Let him turn away from evil and do good;
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”

[All emphasis is mine]

[This is the 12th post in a series on the subject of prayer. In the previous installment we looked at the importance of being in right relationship with God if prayers are to be effective.  
These posts are interspersed among other blog topics so for the easy identification of related posts, look for the label 'praying effectively - series' in the sidebar. If you are just now joining in I recommend that you read the first post where I shared my reason for doing this series. I hope to share practical keys and insight into praying effectively, in bite-size blog posts which you can easily follow.]