Jesus was speaking with His disciples and instructed them, “When you are praying, first forgive anyone against whom you hold a grudge, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive your sins.”

Prayer is not just for asking God for things. Here we find a less discussed function of this spiritual exercise.

It also serves to meditate and confront our actions with the holiness of God. When we are in His presence, the Holy Spirit begins to show us the mistakes we need to confess and leave at the altar of God.

Among these are the hidden resentment and rejection towards others. In the presence of God, we learn to forgive as He forgives.

A beautiful passage of Scripture says, “My soul was embittered, and I was pricked in heart. It was not until I entered the sanctuary of God that I understood their end” (Psalm 73:21,17).

Our selfish nature leads us to be strict with others. We demand a high reparation for the harm done to us, forgetting the unpayable debt that Christ covered for us.

There in the sanctuary, we can remember His unforgettable phrase on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).