The prayers of believers do not always reach God. The Bible clearly states that when the children of God still harbor unresolved evil and sin, their prayers are hindered. In such a condition, prayer is nothing more than words spoken into space, for God is not present there. When a person harbors evil, God has, in fact, withdrawn Himself from that person. Therefore, believers must continually live in spiritual awareness so that they can recognize any evil and sin still hidden within them and immediately deal with it, correct it, and abandon it. Without genuine repentance, separation from the holy God becomes an unavoidable consequence.
God cannot be approached by His children who are still stained with unresolved sin. Thus, dealing with sin and evil is an essential prerequisite in one’s relationship with God. Believers are called to commit themselves to living holy and pure lives, leaving behind every form of evil and sin, and only then coming before God in prayer and dialogue. This principle is clearly seen when the Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray, especially in the words, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us.” This statement emphasizes that before a person comes to God to ask for forgiveness, they must first resolve their wrongdoing with others.
The phrase forgive us our trespasses reflects an awareness that human beings have faults, sins, and transgressions. This awareness should be the foundational attitude of every believer. James 3:2 says, “For we all stumble in many ways.” This statement calls for humility, so that believers do not consider themselves more righteous than others. Every person has the potential to fail and must therefore remain vigilant. The primary focus of spiritual life is not to find fault with others, but to remove the “log” of wrongdoing within oneself.
The effort to be made right before God is a long process that requires sincerity and perseverance. However, this process is often disrupted when someone becomes preoccupied with noticing others’ faults and feels entitled to correct them. Ironically, while their own lives remain unresolved, they try to fix others’ lives. Such an attitude is a dangerous form of hypocrisy and can destroy a believer’s spiritual life.
Jesus clearly taught this principle in Matthew 5:23–24. He said that if someone is about to offer a gift to God and remembers that their brother has something against them, they must first leave the gift there. They should go and be reconciled with their brother, and only then return to offer their gift to God. This statement is very straightforward and does not require complicated interpretation. God does not accept the worship of believers whose relationships with others are still unresolved. Even if someone brings an offering, God remains unmoved, because what God looks at is not what a person brings, but the condition of their life and their spiritual relationships.
Coming to God is a necessity for believers, but that coming must be accompanied by a life that has been solved. Without reconciliation with others, God will not respond to the prayers and worship of believers. Relationships with fellow human beings have a direct impact on one’s relationship with God. When horizontal relationships are broken, the vertical relationship with God is also disturbed.
Love for God cannot be separated from love for others. God does not forgive believers who still harbor bitterness, resentment, and anger toward their fellow human beings. Every person has the potential to commit wrongs, including ourselves. Therefore, what we expect of others, we should first do for them. In this way, the forgiveness that God works in the lives of believers is closely related to the forgiveness they extend to others. Ultimately, the matter of forgiveness lies in the choice and responsibility of each believer.