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Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Genesis 19-20
Matthew 6:9-34

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Matthew 6:14-15 (CSB): “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

Some people are mean. They hurt us with their words or actions. Frequently, they will never acknowledge the wrong they did, so they will not apologize, and then we struggle to forgive them.

You know what that’s like, don’t you? I certainly do! I know precisely what it’s like to continue to hold onto an offense. I know what it’s like to have my blood pressure spike whenever I think of that person. I know what it’s like to get so consumed with unforgiveness that it starts negatively affecting my physical health.

And yet, it gets worse! When we read Matthew 5:14-15, we hear Jesus saying that if we don’t forgive those who have wronged us, then God won’t forgive us when we ask for forgiveness for whatever sin we committed.

Just follow that line of reasoning. If you are holding onto unforgiveness because of what someone else has done for you, then every prayer you’ve prayed since then has not been answered. Whenever you have sought the Lord’s forgiveness for your sin, He hasn’t listened. So, your unforgiven sins have been piling up ever since you refused to forgive whoever wronged you.

Matthew 6:14-15 (CSB): “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.”

It seems clear to me that if we want to be on good terms with our God, then we absolutely must forgive others. No matter what they’ve done to us, it doesn’t compare to our own sins that Jesus had to wear on the cross as He paid our sin debt to a holy God.

So, I want to encourage you to compile a list of people that you haven’t forgiven. Write down their names and the offense(s). Then, find a quiet place where you can pray over that list. Ask the Lord to help you release them from the prison of your heart where you have kept them. Release them in Jesus’ Name. Maybe you need to talk to them about what they’ve done, or maybe you simply need to let the Lord handle it. Regardless, make sure that you release every single person and refuse to be their judge and jury. Let God do that.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you realize if you are holding onto unforgiveness.
  • Ask God to give you the ability to release each person from your heart’s prison.
  • Ask God for the grace to let Him be their judge and jury, not you.
  • Thank Him in advance for the relief you will feel in your heart as you forgive.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into the importance of forgiving others, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“If I do not forgive others, does that mean my sins are not forgiven?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)