And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. (11:25–26) An unforgiving spirit is a great hindrance to effective prayer. So are our many other trespasses. An unforgiving spirit hinders God’s forgiving us our own fallings and failures and so blocks the answer to our prayers. Forgiveness is not the same as justification.