Prayer – Lord, forgive us our debts…as we forgive our debtors. Forgiveness is so important to my relationship with You, Lord God. Forgive me for not being more forgiving to others. You have forgiven me for so much.
Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how
often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?"
"No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!"
Matthew 18:21-22
Meditate. Feel God’s presence and forgiveness in your life.
As Jesus taught His disciples…and us…to pray, He included a
phrase about forgiving those who sin against us.
Pray like this: Our
Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May
your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need,
and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. If you
forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if
you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew
6:9-15 (Underlined for emphasis.)
That is pretty strong. If someone denies asking for forgiveness, God won’t forgive them. Whoa! That is a sad thing. No forgiveness
from God is an eternal death sentence. Remember one must be pure to stand before
God—and sin blocks purity. That purity is only ours if we ask for forgiveness
from God. The ultimate choice is ours.
Just as Peter asked about the number of
times to forgive (see Matthew 18), Jesus addressed that issue with His
disciples in the book of Luke.
Even if that person
wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness,
you must forgive. Luke 17:4
Is someone toxic--
--like these poisonous mushrooms?
Shortly before His ascension Jesus told His followers that
the Messiah was to suffer, die, and be resurrected. That happened. The Messiah
is Jesus. He also talked about forgiveness.
It was also written
that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the
nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who
repent.' Luke 24:47
James and Paul challenge us to help others—to be forgiving
and to be involved in rescuing them from death—eternal death.
Make allowance for
each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord
forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13
My dear brothers and
sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back,
you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from
death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. James 5:19-20
Forgiveness is a big deal. It is an integral part of any
good relationship—with God or with others. How to do it? Basically, with God,
get down on your knees and ask for forgiveness. Repent. With others? It will
depend on the relationship and what exactly needs to be addressed. Face-to-face
conversation is always best, but via FaceTime, just a phone call, even a text
message or an e-mail is acceptable. There are no hard and fast rules—just humbling
your heart before others is a good way to start. Prayer is often a key to
forgiveness. Ask God to give you wisdom and the proper words to say. Consider if
you have to forgive others and offer that forgiveness to them, too. Make
allowances for each other’s faults…even your own.
If you have any suggestions, please write a comment in the Post
a Comment box below and let others know how you have dealt with forgiveness
in your life. Blessings ~
Verse of Salvation ~ Help us, O God of our salvation!
Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor
of your name. Psalm 79:9
© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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