Sat., Dec. 16, 2017

Bible Reading: Gen. 33:1 -11

Memory Verse: To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. Daniel 9:9

Moravian missionaries searched for a word for forgiveness in the Eskimo Language that’s when they discovered in sumagijoujungainermik, a 21-letter tongue twister which literally means “not being able to think about it anymore” (forgetting the wrong). Genuine forgiveness is about moving on and refusing to think any more about what happened.

It’s easy to forgive the one time offender who cuts you off in traffic but repeated offenders like Saul, who continually pursued and threatened David, must be turned over to God. You don’t have to endorse their behaviour or pretend it didn’t happen. Be merciful but keep your distance. Create your standards and stand by them. After confronting Saul, David didn’t take him out to dinner. The Bible says, “Saul returned home, but David went up to the stronghold”. (1 Sam. 24:22). You can forgive the offender without pursuing a close relationship with him. Paul writes, “Watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way. Keep away from them” (Rom. 16:17). Forgiveness is not foolishness; it is seeing the offender through God’s eyes.

Mark 11:25 NLT … “Forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against” A lady was upset because her best friend’s mother in law forgot to ask her come to a get together party. So, when her colleague called on the morning of the event to invite her, she replied angrily “It’s too late, I’ve already prayed for rain!” When we’re hurting we want someone to suffer the pain, we lash out at the wrong people. One lady writes, “I was so angry I spent years trying to collect what I thought was due, from people who’d nothing to do with my hurt. Finally, God caused me to realize that I was trying to collect a debt from people who didn’t owe.

Quote:  There is no love without forgiveness and there is no forgiveness without love.

Prophetic Word:        Receive a restoration of all you have lost as a result of unforgiveness, in Jesus name.

Prayer Focus:

1. I receive a heart of forgiveness, in the name of Jesus.
2. I receive grace to forgive and forget past wrongs, in the name of Jesus.
3. I lay down past the hurt, grudges, pain, resentments and bitterness in my heart at the feet of the Cross, in Jesus name.
4. I receive the grace to forgive myself, in the name of Jesus.
5. Unforgiving spirit die, in the name of Jesus.