“PRAYER AND FORGIVENESS: THE GATE TO SUCCESS”

Matthew 6:5-15; Luke 11: 1-13

KUMI UNIVERSITYWORSHIP HOUR

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

BY

ROBERT AGWOT KOMAKECH

Author & Teaching Assistant

Introduction

One of the most famous passages in the LORDS’/Family Prayer asks for forgiveness. Therefore, we MUST have the ability to forgive others. This prayer appears in two Gospel i.e. Mathew and Luke. The original terms are different but the translation of both says “Forgiveness.” In Mathew 6:12; Forgiveness meant that of Debts (one’s obligation to pay) while in Luke 11:4; Forgiveness meant that of Sins (reestablishment of some interpersonal relationship which was fractured due to misdeed or wrong doing).

Con’t According to Oxford English Dictionary 6th edition,

forgiveness is defined as “To grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offence or debt.” Psychologists generally define forgiveness as; “A conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.”

In this context, forgiveness is letting go of the need for revenge and releasing negative thoughts, of bitterness, anger and resentment.

IllustrationIf a careless friend breaks your precious glass in your

room. What do you do? (Three things; To forgive/ Keep Quite /Not to forgive). If you forgive him/her it means you will not make him/her to pay. Implying you have set him/her free of debt or sin. S/he is free to go because you have said; “I release you from your debt. Go and leave your chain behind.” To forgive is to completely set the prisoner free!

The Bible says in Mathew 6:14-15; “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,” NIV

Con’t

Friends what makes forgiveness hard its because we want others to decide for ourselves. Look there are those who will tell you …

I don’t know how you have suffered ... But if you look at the faces of those who have suffered the past, their hearts are full of bitterness and they are thinking of killing, cursing, revenging. Dear ones, since God requires you to forgive, it is something you can do. Though you sometimes find it is hard to forgive someone because you naturally want revenge for the things you have suffered.

How do we Forgive1. Don’t wait for other person to ask for your forgiveness

Many time we often think of forgiveness as something that someone who has done us wrong must ask of us. NO! Jesus did not wait those who were crucifying Him to do so. But He forgave them. The Bible tells us in Luke 23:24 that Jesus told those who were weeping, flogging… Him that; “…Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Therefore, forgiveness is not ONLY for the person who wronged/ has hurt you. Not to forgive is like taking a poison because you will continue suffering the pain and expecting s/he to die!

Cont 2. Forgiveness is Not Excusing/ Giving Permission to

Continue Hurtful Behaviors

It is from your heart but some people say I have forgiven you after kicking, slapping, abusing,… As Christian, you don’t have to wait until you feel like forgiving. “You will never get there. Make the hard choice to forgive even if you don’t feel like it.” One you choose to forgive, Satan will have lost his power over you in that area. Gods’ healing touch will be free to move in your life.

Cont 3. Forgiveness is a Choice/ a Decision of Will

Refusing to forgive by holding onto the anger, bitterness, resentment and a sense of betrayal can make your own life miserable. A vindictive/ harmful mind-set creates bitterness and lets the betrayer claim one more victim.

The Bible says, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, vengeance is mine; I will repay says the LORD,” Romans 12:19.

Cont

4. Forgiveness is a Gift you give to yourself

It is not something you do for someone else. It is not complicated, it is simple but only what you need to do is to identify the situation to be forgiven and ask yourself; Am I willing to waste my energy on this matter? If the answer is NO, then that is it! All is forgiven.

However, some people still say, always s/he hurt me and I forgive. Its now too much I am going to teach s/he a lesson…

Cont The number of times one should forgive is not limited. Peter

one of Jesus disciples had the same challenge on the number of times he should forgive his brother. Mathew 18:21-22 says, Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

Therefore, this answer by Jesus makes it clear that forgiveness is not easy for us. It is not a one time choice, it requires lifetime. In this Spirit, we must continue forgiving until the matter is settled in our heart.

When you choose not to forgive, who are you really punishing?

Who carries that judgment whenever s/he goes?

Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ sake has forgiven you.”

Con’t

Colossians 3:13 says, “Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”

Therefore, forgiving ones’ enemy does not mean to be FAINTHEARTED, but to have a strong SOUL.

SAY THIS PRAYER

LORD, I choose to forgive (name the person) for (what s/he did) even though it made me feel (share the painful feel). LORD, I choose not to hold any of these things against (name it) any longer, I thank you for setting me free from the bondage of my bitterness towards (name). I now ask you to bless (name). In Jesus’ Name I pray. AMEN!

MAY GOD BLESS YOU!