"Blessed are the merciful for they shall be shown mercy."  Matthew 5:7

In the above verse, the Greek word used to describe the merciful is eleémón, meaning full of pity and compassion.

This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show Mercy and compassion to one another.
Zechariah 7:9

A merciful person does not look on others and see their filth. They look on the broken, downtrodden, and helpless of the world and their hearts are moved by compassion and pity. They are moved to action--to move in relief of the suffering and misery of the world around them. Their efforts are tireless and their love unconditional.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 
Psalm 51:1

The actions of the merciful mirror the actions of our ever-merciful God. He, too, looks down on us, wallowing in the muck and mire of this world, helpless and hopeless, and His heart is moved with compassion. He, the Creator of the Universe, the God of Heaven's armies, does not hesitate to reach into this tangled mess of a world and pull us out with His own two hands.

We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.  
Daniel 9:18

God extends His mercy to us, not because of our own worth or because we could possibly deserve it, but because of His own love and desire. His mercy is based on His goodness and not our own, and so, too, our mercy should not be based on the deserving merits of others, but on the great mercy we ourselves have been shown. 

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.  
James 2:12-13

If we do not extend mercy and forgiveness to others, how can God show us mercy? This principle is personified in the story of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18:23-35. The servant owed a debt that he couldn't pay. The king had mercy on him and forgave what he owed. The servant then went out and demanded repayment of a small amount that was owed to him.. When the debtor couldn't pay, the servant refused to show mercy in return. When the king heard of the man's lack of compassion, he re-instated the debt and had the servant thrown into prison until he could pay it.We have been shown great mercy and been forgiven of a greater debt than we could ever be owed, therefore we have no right to withhold forgiveness and mercy from others.

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  
Matthew 9:13

Christ came to die for those who need mercy in their sin-ravaged lives. All the sacrifices in the world can not take the place of a compassionate heart that is eager to show mercy to the undeserving. God rewards such a person with an outpouring of His grace in their lives.

If we would be shown mercy, then we must first show mercy to others.