What is the power of forgiveness? Is forgiveness not for the faint-hearted? Is there really a power in forgiveness? Today we would be answer these questions.
One thing about forgiveness is that your failure to forgive has made you unholy before God, which won’t make Him listen to or even answer your prayers.
That’s because when God looks at you, He sees the mark of sin on you – resentment, unforgiveness, hatred, and He can’t look at you like that.
However, when you ask for forgiveness before you pray, it takes the mark of sin away from you. Or even while praying and the Holy Spirit convicts your heart of unforgiveness, quickly forgive whoever you need to forgive so that your prayers might be answered.
When God sees your entire heart as unholy, He also sees your body as unholy too.
By allowing unforgiveness to stay in your heart, you are causing yourself more harm than good.
An unforgiving heart affects your entire body. It can cause you to have medical conditions. The power of forgiveness cannot therefore be overemphasized.
Be holy today and forgive who you need to forgive. God bless and provide for you as you do so. Amen.
Prayer: My Father in heaven, forgive me my trespasses and help me to forgive everyone I need to forgive, Amen.
Action point: Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you who you need to forgive and do so fast
Declaration: I choose to forgive all who have hurt me.
There are benefits of forgiveness. Forgiveness is important in serving God. A key instrument in entering and staying in God’s presence is by letting go of offences.
No wonder Jesus mentioned in the Lord’s prayer that “…forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
We can’t come before God with any sin in our lives. The lack of forgiving others when they hurt us is a sin.
You might wonder how does this keep my body holy before God? The bible says that the heart of man is full of wickedness.
When you harbor resentment towards another person and refuse to forgive them, you can’t come before God.
Jesus said to ask for forgiveness not because of the other person, but so that God can answer your prayers. In other words, it’s about you, not the other person.
“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins too.
Mark 11:25 NLT
It was also emphasized here:
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Matt. 6:14-15 NLT.
When you fail to forgive, you hurt yourself and cut short God’s blessing upon your life.
These are some of the benefits of forgiveness. May God help is all to to forgive all who have hurt us in time past. Amen.
Prayer: My Father in heaven, forgive me my trespasses and help me to forgive everyone I need to forgive. I want to be holy to you. Amen.
Action point: Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you who you need to forgive and do so fast
1. Focus A great marriage is made of a couple who are so into themselves. They focus on each other’s needs. They love each other tirelessly. They are best friends of themselves.
For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
Isa 50:7 (KJV)
God will help, but you must set your face like a flint, which means to focus. Focusing on each other will help you to be faithful to each other in your marriage.
2. Forgive A fantastic marital journey is made up of two forgivers. In fact, there is such thing as advanced forgiveness. As couples, avoid bitterness like a plague. Runaway from strife and don’t touch it with a mile-long pole.
3. Forget Oh, you must learn to forgive the hurts of the past. Dear couples, help your spouse by not repeating what you promised you won’t do again. If you keep repeating a particular thing you promised not to do, you make it difficult for your spouse to forget.
Each reiteration of the act will be a painful reminder of that which has been buried.
Absolutely forgetting a thing is almost impossible, because that has to be a condition of amnesia, however, you can forget the pain that comes with it.
4. Forsake There are things to forsake as you move on in the marital journey. There are things your spouse does not like and which keep bringing conflicts from time to time. Forsake them, that is what growing is all about.
Don’t assume a fixated posture like you cannot change. It’s only God that changeth not, and you are not God.
You deal with the flesh. You put the body under. You remain disciplined. You get better by the day.
Good morning. God bless you.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am getting better by the day
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to dutifully focus on my spouse
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Isa 50:7 (AMP)For the Lord God helps Me; therefore have I not been ashamed or confounded. Therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Write out the word you are standing on
Marriage is the placewhere you will have to come to terms with the practicality of forgiveness. In other relationships, forgiveness is also essential but it may not be as that of marriage.
In marriage, you will have to forgive for the relationship to be healed. You and your spouse cannot avoid each other. You live together, have children together, for the sake of peace and progress, forgiveness is very necessary.
The standard of the Word of God is so high. That’s why it is a narrow road that leads to heaven. The Bible does not mince words when we are told to love our enemies. Hmmm. I thought we should love our friends and well-wishers and stay clear and avoid our enemies.
The bible tells us to love them, and bless those who curse us. That is pretty hard; a hard pill to swallow. I believe that is why we have to live in the spirit so we do not gratify the lust of the flesh. We need the Holy Ghost power. We cannot do it in our own natural strength.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matthew 5:44 KJV
Our differences will most often act as a threat to our marital union and our mandate as couples. It will pose a problem to our becoming one. The natural man tends to be selfish and only the one that is submitted to Christ and His word can love genuinely.
It is easier for women to hold on to hurts and have difficulty forgiving. Women are hurt deeply essentially because they are emotional beings and because they analyze more. Whichever way, let God be true and every man a liar. The standard of God’s word must be followed. A different gospel is not for men and another for women. We are to follow and obey the same word. We should allow the Holy Spirit to rightly discern the situation and analyze it for us.
God is not saying we should not be hurt, angry, or need time to heal. We should do that and then get over it and move on. That’s where power lies. That’s where victory begins. The Word says we should be angry but we are not permitted to sin.
We sin when we over-analyze. There is a spiritual way to analyze things that instead of being bitter we become better. When we allow bitterness we open the door for other demons to enter our lives and afflict us. Disobedience opens the door for the enemy of our souls. We open the door for sicknesses, diseases, poverty, disfavor, et cetera.
Joseph could have wasted his life being bitter. He could have lost years by being bitter. He could have lost opportunities, but he chose to enjoy where he is on his way to being better and his way to where God is taking him to.
Joseph saw his brothers who sold him into slavery and he analyzed the situation well with the help of the Holy Spirit. He said what they meant for evil, God used it to preserve many lives. Can you allow that situation to become a tool in the hands of God?
I am not saying it will be easy. That’s where taking up your cross daily and following God is about.
Couples, learn to give that situation to God. You are reviled, persecuted, unjustly treated, abused, afflicted, cheated, et cetera. . Surrender it to the Lord. Give it to Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to make you see what it really is. Until Joseph saw correctly, he could not forgive and forget.
Jesus was able to pass through the cross because he saw well. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross. He could say father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing. God is able to turn things around and make your mess a message that will liberate thousands.
Don’t fight your spouse, forgive and move on. Learn what you are to learn. Don’t be afraid of being misjudged or treated unfairly. Jesus was wrongly and falsely accused. He shut His mouth and didn’t answer back. It was though, but in the end, He was justified and glorified
Ask the Lord to help you see well and He will come to your aid.
God bless your marriage
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I amseeing well. I choose to forgive ahead.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Ask for the help of God concerning your marriage.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Matthew 5:44 KJV But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Marriage likeany other structure or organization can fall or fail. Ours will not fall in Jesus’ name.
It is amazing how people, CEOs, general overseers, managing directors put a lot of energy and structures into their businesses, organization, churches, and empires and care little about their marriages.
We think differently about our businesses and differently about our marriages. It won’t work that way. We should aim at putting as much effort, prayers, faith, learning, structures, principles that we put into other vocations into our marriages and things will work out better.
To get a different result, we should do things differently. We respect team work in our organizations, let’s do same in our marriages. We respect other people’s opinions, we are kind and nice to others, we value other people’s uniqueness, let’s do same with our spouses. We spend time, energy, money learning strategies and implementing new ways of doing things, let’s do so with our marriages too.
Here are five simple things that will help keep our marriages strong
1. Never neglect your spouse no matter what Neglect could be in various dimensions. First seek what neglect is to your spouse. Be willing to adjust and avoid neglecting each other spiritually, emotionally and physically. Neglect will cause your love for each other to dwindle.
2. Never stop real communication Communication is very important. In fact, the health of a marriage can be determined by their level of conversation, it’s quality and quantity.
Communication in marriage should not just be reduced to passing of important information and instruction. To keep communication going, there must be a lot of understanding.
Decide to have meaningful, heart to heart conversation with your spouse daily. It warms your heart to each other. Never be too busy. Sexual communication is also important.
3. Never take each other for granted Taking each other for granted is similar to neglect but slightly different. When you take your spouse for granted, you treat them casually or with levity, or without much concern. Never be a one man gang that is always, only concerned about your own affairs.
4. Never harbor hurt or unforgiveness When there is hurt or offenses, try and talk about it. Make your self easy to talk to and with. Some spouses have made themselves so defensive their spouse can’t express their real feelings to them. Hurts will cage your feelings and make your heartthrob grow cold towards you.
5. Never stop forgiving, praying and loving your spouse No matter how rough or tough it may seem. Never stop forgiving your spouse. Never stop praying and trusting God for the best in your marriage.
God is able to bring His beautiful plans and purpose out of your marriage. He is able to make all things work out for your good.
God bless your marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY My marriage will never fail
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, grant me wisdom I need in my marriage.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Col 3:18 – 19 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
