I know from experience of more than fifty years of ministry and talking with many thousands of people through the years on a one-to-one basis, that unforgiveness is the main reason why people's faith doesn't work. And unforgiveness is the main reason why people fail to receive their healing.

In fact, go through the four Gospels and search the Scriptures for yourself, and write out every verse Jesus ever mentioned relative to faith.

You will find that unforgiveness—the lack of walking in love—is a specific hindrance to faith and prayer that Jesus mentioned (Mark 11:23-25).

That doesn't mean there aren't other hindrances to faith and prayer. But what it does mean is that unforgiveness is the main hindrance to faith and answered prayer.

People have some of the fuzziest ideas about spiritual things you've ever seen, especially when it comes to love and forgiveness.

For example, most folks know it is wrong to hold some big grudge against someone. But they seem to think they can get by with it if it's just a little grudge or a little unforgiveness.

They think, "Well, just holding some little bitty grudge against someone won't hurt anything."

But think about it. In Mark 11:25, Jesus said, "When you stand praying, forgive if ye have ought against anyone."

The word "ought" means any kind of grudge or ill will or wrong feeling about anyone at all. That means a little grudge, a middle-sized grudge, or a big grudge—anything at all against another person.

After all, the Bible says it's the little foxes that spoil the vine (Song 2:15). So many times it's not the big things in believers' lives that spoil their Christian walk. It's the many little sins they fail to deal with that destroy their faith.

Sometimes it's the little sins you overlook that keep your faith from working and your prayers from being heard.

Sometimes it's the little "oughts"—the little grudges against others—that you don't think amount to much that will keep your voice from being heard on High.

Source: Love - The Way to Victory by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications