Forgiveness: Do You Need the Magic Eraser? Sample

AS WE FORGIVE OTHERS

So often we go to God in prayer asking that He forgive us, yet in our hearts we are holding grudges and bitterness against another person who has hurt us.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, Jesus included within that prayer (aka The Lord’s Prayer) the key to being forgiven.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father in Heaven will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15

It isn’t an easy thing to forgive people who have harmed us or have betrayed us, yet how easy it is for us to expect God to forgive us when we have rebelled against Him, denied Him, and disobeyed Him grievously. We automatically expect Him to forgive us, yet we aren’t willing to extend to others the same mercy and grace that we expect of our Father in Heaven.

Forgiving those who hurt us doesn’t mean we will forget what they did to us. It means not harboring ill feelings and not wishing bad things to happen to them.

When Jesus forgives us, He throws our sins into the depths of the sea. What does that mean? Just as things that have sunk to the bottom of the sea do not come up again, nor will our sins be brought up and held against us when we ask Jesus for forgiveness.

PRAYER STARTER:

Father God, I’m sorry that I still find it hard to forgive (name of person or persons). You know what they've done and how badly they've hurt me. But I know You love them too, so please help me to forgive them in the same way I ask You to forgive me. Thank You, Lord, for …….