One of the most painful parts of living in a sinful world is being hurt by others - often the people we love most. We experience a bit of the pain God experiences.
God gives us His grace and love to forgive every sin committed against us - whether it was someone saying an unkind word to you, or someone committing a heinous atrocity against you or your family. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that we continue to let unsafe people into our lives - but forgiving them frees our hearts to connect with God fully and to share His love.
Read this prayer aloud or silently, trusting that God’s grace will fill you with the strength you need to forgive…
Dear God,
As I pray, will You call to my mind the names or faces of those that I need to forgive today?
I need Your help Lord. Help me to be honest with You and with myself about my feelings of anger and pain regarding those that have hurt me. Hold my hand today as I feel those feelings, and as I grieve each loss.
But I ask for Your grace and love to break in through those feelings - like sunlight breaking through a shadowy forest.
Show me more of Your amazing heart - how You forgive each one of us through Your son, Jesus.
Cleanse my heart of every evil thought I have toward anyone. By Your grace and power, I forgive them. And I’m asking for You to untangle this pain in my heart towards them. And lead me in my next steps with every relationship in my life.
Thank You for forgiving me, Lord!
In Jesus’ Name, Amen!