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(Matthew 6:14-15) “Because if you forgive people their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive people their offenses, your Father will not forgive your offenses.”
(John 20:23) “Whose so ever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and who’s so ever sins ye retain, they are retained.”
(Job 42:10) “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.”
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No matter how holy or good you think you are, forgiveness does not come easy. Yes, we forgive our children, spouse, friends, and family over and over again, but sometimes the pain and the treason is so deep that we can’t get our hearts to forgive them. I´m talking from my personal experience, where the treason and rejection have been such that keeping a distance was the only option. Being in communication with those that have deliberately hurt me was so painful that it caused a lot of anxiety and resentment which had affected my health.
It is only through the love that Christ has put in my heart and because I also want to be forgiven, that I was truly able to forgive them, no matter what they have done, and continue to pray for them. Sure, God will not let those that hurt or insult His children, the fatherless or men of God get away with everything, but we need to be able to live without resentment if we want to continue living a fruitful life in Christ. You might be looked at as a fool, and a loser for not fighting back or for still helping them whenever needed, but God will not be mocked, as they have sown, they will reap.
The first step to forgiveness is to surrender all pain, anxiety, and frustration to God and to ask Him to put in your heart a supernatural love for those that have hurt you. Jesus is our ultimate example of a forgiving heart, knowing that if they knew whom they were insulting and hanging on the cross, they would have stopped. He suffered what you and I can only imagine in regards to treason, insults, false accusations, rejection, and physical pain, but still, He did what was right and resurrected victoriously.
(“When Job prayed for his friends, God restored his health, his joy, and his prosperity. Do you know who Job’s friends were? The very ones who caused him so much pain. There’s the key! You can live in anger or live in blessing, but you can’t live in both! When Job could pray for those who had hurt him, the blessings of God began to pour into his life.” – Bob Gass)
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God will forgive us for whatever we have done wrong if we truly repent. However, only you have the authority to forgive those in your heart for what they have done to you. This is a great responsibility as it might affect your walk with God and your ability to pray for them.
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Prayers
• Jesus, You were numbered with transgressors, He who made intercession for the transgressors, Your stripes heal us.
• Thank You for going to the cross to pay for our sins against God. Thank you that You forgave those that hurt You and set an example for us to follow.
• Forgive us for not being humble enough to forgive and for not understanding the consequences of unforgiveness.Â
• We receive today all the healing, blessings, and restoration as we begin to forgive and pray for those who offended us.Â
• Give us the love necessary to forgive as You have forgiven us.
• We forgive right now those that have hurt us, backstabbed us, and ridiculed us.
• We pray for them that have done evil against us and ask that you set us free from any resentment against them.
• Don’t let any sin because of unforgiveness stop us from being in the fullness of Your blessings.
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• We ask in Jesus’ Mighty name. Amen