"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 (NIV)
Mark 11:25 puts forgiveness inside prayer. Jesus has just told his disciples to pray with faith, and then he adds one condition: if you are holding something against someone, let it go right there. This page gives the verse, what the key Greek words mean, where it sits in Mark 11, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about forgiveness and Bible verses about prayer.
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The verse
The King James reads: "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
"Stand" is stēkō (G4739); standing was a normal posture for prayer. "Praying" is proseuchomai (G4336). "Hold" or "have ought" is echō (G2192), to have or keep. "Forgive" is aphiēmi (G863), to let go or release, and "sins" or "trespasses" is paraptōma (G3900), a false step or wrong done.
Where it sits in Mark 11
The day before, Jesus cursed a fig tree and cleared the temple. The next morning the disciples see the fig tree withered, and Jesus tells them, "Have faith in God" (Mark 11:22). He says that faith can move a mountain, and then, "Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" (Mark 11:24). Verse 25 follows straight on: prayer with faith also means prayer with nothing held against anyone.
Some translations, including the KJV, add verse 26: "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." Many modern translations, including the NIV, leave it out of the main text and note that the earliest manuscripts do not have it. The same words appear in Matthew 6:14-15.
What the verse is saying
Jesus assumes you will sometimes come to pray while holding a grudge. He doesn't tell you to stop praying until you feel better about the person. He tells you to forgive while you are standing there, as part of the prayer.
The reason he gives is God's own forgiveness. Asking God to release your debts while you keep someone else's on file doesn't fit together. Mark 11:25 makes forgiveness something you bring to God first, often before you ever talk to the other person.
How to put Mark 11:25 into practice
When you stand praying and you hold anything against anyone, forgive them there. Forgiving is releasing the debt to God. It is not pretending the wrong did not happen, and it is not claiming that trust is restored instantly. You can do it before you ever talk to the other person.
Matthew 5:23-24 still sends you to be reconciled when that conversation is the next right step, and Colossians 3:13 sets the same release next to the forgiveness you have received. Mark 11:25 keeps the release inside the prayer: "forgive, if ye have ought against any."
Questions people ask
What does Mark 11:25 say?
In the NIV: "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." In the KJV: "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
Why is Mark 11:26 missing from some Bibles?
The earliest Greek manuscripts of Mark do not include verse 26, so translations like the NIV and ESV leave it out of the main text and mention it in a footnote. The KJV includes it. Its wording matches Matthew 6:15, so the teaching itself is not in question.
What does Mark 11:25 have to do with prayer?
Jesus says it right after teaching about praying with faith (Mark 11:22-24). He makes forgiving others part of praying, not something to sort out later.
Do I have to talk to the person before I forgive them?
Mark 11:25 describes forgiving while you pray, which you can do before any conversation happens. Elsewhere Jesus also teaches going to the person to reconcile (Matthew 5:23-24, Matthew 18:15), so both can be true at different moments.
What verses go with Mark 11:25?
Matthew 6:14-15 (if you forgive others, your Father will forgive you), Matthew 18:21-22 (seventy-seven times), Colossians 3:13, and 1 John 1:9 (if we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive) are close companions.
Does God not forgive me if I don't forgive others?
Mark 11:25 joins the two: forgive, "so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." The KJV adds verse 26: "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." The same words appear in Matthew 6:14-15. The earliest manuscripts of Mark do not include verse 26, so the NIV leaves it out, but verse 25 still gives God's forgiveness as the reason you release what you are holding.
