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1.More than an offering:

“If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift”.

-Matthew 5:23,24

From these verses we infer that God prioritizes

• relationship than offering;
• character than good works ;
• mercy than sacrifice.

2.CLEARS THE WAY TO RECEIVE THE ANSWER FOR OUR PRAYER:

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

-Mark 11:25

Why does our Lord insist on forgiving before praying? Because unforgiving is a sin against God that blocks our peaceful connection with Him hence our prayers return back unanswered. Yes! it’s a great hindrance to our prayers.

Even in the Lord’s prayer Jesus taught to pray: ‘Forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us’-Here Jesus mean to say that before we ask forgiveness for our sins, we should be the one who forgives others’ sin (i. e) the one asks for forgiveness to God should possess the quality of forgiving others.

3.PEACEMAKERS ARE SONS OF GOD:

After Jacob returned with his family from his father-in-law, he wanted to reconcile with his brother Esau where they had been separated long ago. He yearned to make peace and sent for the treaty just after the visitation of the host of angels. When Jacob initiated and prayed about it, God changed the heart of his brother Esau that he forgave him with the whole heart.

Thus by making peace Jacob proved that he is the son of God ( Matthew 5:9).

Anyone who has a good relationship with God will truly seek peace and they will never be restful until they find it.

And we need not wait for the one who hurt us to initiate reconciliation first. For, the first one who initiates peace is the stronger person indeed.

4. Child’s nature: Qualifies to Heaven

Jesus says in Gospels that if we do not become like a child, we cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Well, there are lots we can learn from them. For instance: when toddlers fight, they instantaneously forget the tussle and starts playing together as if they had never fought at all.

Let God help us to cultivate these innocent, guileless and non-egoistic childlike nature so that it becomes easy to forgive others immediately!

–To be continued