FORGIVE!
PRAYER SCRIPTURE
Mark 11:25, New Living Translation But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.
PRAYER TEACHING
One of the major hindrances to answered prayer is unforgiveness. All of us have had plenty of occasions to hold a grudge and not forgive someone. There are numerous times when we have the “right” not to forgive. We have been wronged. But in God’s Kingdom, we are to forgive people when they do wrong to us. I don’t know about you, but there have been times in my life when that has been tough. I want to get even with them for the hurt they have inflicted on me.
When someone takes something from you (It can be money, or your inheritance or your dignity or your reputation or your spouse or your promotion or any number of things.), you are to forgive them. It doesn’t mean that there won’t be residue of hurt in you. You forgive by faith. Then allow God to take care of your feelings that appear to be contrary to forgiveness.
I think the greatest example I can think of is the story of Corrie Ten Boom. Most of you know her story, but in case you don’t: She had to forgive the Nazi prison guard who was responsible for her sister’s death and the brutality enforced on her and her family. She lost everything because of her family being caught hiding Jews during the war. Without family, without home, without anything but her faith in God, she survived and started the process of forgiveness. As I remember, she personally forgave that prison guard in person. Whether she forgave in person or not, she did forgive him. I have also heard of people who forgave someone who murdered a member of their family.
Forgiveness is very big in God’s eyes. He is the greatest Forgiver. He forgave you and me for all that we would do wrong toward him and others before we even did the wrong. He sent His only Son at that time to take our place and our punishment just so we could be free. Now that is forgiveness. How many of us would be willing to go to prison for someone else or even more intense, to die for someone else? But that is exactly what Jesus did. That is pretty awesome to me when I sit and ponder it for any length of time.
Forgive and experience the freedom of nothing holding your prayers back.
PRAYER CONFESSION
I FORGIVE OR RELEASE OTHERS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO ME!