Explanation Of Biblical Forgiveness And How To Apply It

I am surprised at how many people struggle with the need to forgive but don’t know how, or how we believe some things.

•  I would never hurt anyone the way I have been hurt, The one who hurt me must first come to me broken and full of remorse before I forgive.

•  I must be able to see change in them before I forgive.

•  They must guarantee to never hurt me in the future the way they have in the past.

Scripture tells us in Romans 5:8 “In that we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” The core of the Gospel is Jesus finished work of the cross or “forgiveness”. He paid the full wages of the sin issue and gave that gift to us if only we will have faith in Him. Then in Colossians 3:12-13 we are instructed to forgive as he forgave us or in Matt. 6:12 the way we forgive others.

Go To Jesus For Pain Relief

Each week I have the privilege of helping several people find an end to the past emotional pain that they suffer from. Many individuals have sought help from other sources without finding relief from their suffering. The key is to get to the root of personal issues by giving Jesus permission to show you the issue, replace the emotional pain with peace, then change your heart to be willing to forgive instead of managing the pain, symptoms, and behaviors. Psalm 56:8, Psalm139.

This process does not excuse the one(s) who hurt you or condone what they have done.  Your choice to forgive doesn’t in any way “just let them get by with what they have done”. Instead this forgiveness focuses on you letting them off your hook and leaving them on Gods hook, to deal fairly with them. Matt.18 does tell us to talk personally with the one who has sinned against us.  And while that can take place in some cases, in others it doesn’t or it is not fully satisfying. My greatest desire is to give you the prayer tools to end your emotional pain today, even this hour, or at least before the sun goes down, and every day from now on (Ephesians. 4:26-27). Your decision to forgive is solely up to you but is an issue between you and God not you and your offender. Un-forgiveness becomes sin when you hold an offender, or yourself to a higher standard in forgiveness than God held you to. God didn’t become bitter for your sin or demand that you shape up first. He forgave you as He gave His life in that act of redemption.

 The following prayer is accurate biblical direction that can relieve all anger, torment, excessive thought time, hurt or offense even without the one who caused the emotional pain personally present or having apologized. My prayer is that each person who is suffers will invite Jesus into each event of their emotional pain with these prayers and then experience complete peace of heart and mind (Philippians 4:7).

           PRAY This Way

        Lord please render all powers of darkness impotent and silenced as I/we pray through these issues. Give me your safety. Thank you for hearing my prayer.

Pray through each point, WAIT for the Holy Spirit within you to answer then go to the next point. Based on hearing that still small voice (1 Kings 19:12).

    Jesus, please protect me, I want to hear only your voice as my answer!

The next two underlined points are only if you can’t hear his voice

•  Jesus, have I been angry at or blamed you?  Which could stop me from hearing your voice?

•  My anger and disrespect of you is not founded on biblical truth.
•  Will you please forgive me for my sin of disrespect and blame?
        Please take back all place Eph. 4:26-27 I have given to the enemy by
        my bitterness against you, God.

    Pray  The wanted answer is behind each question

    Jesus, do you see the pain that (name of the offender) has caused me?  . . . Yes

    Jesus, do you know about all the pain I am feeling?         . . . Yes

    Jesus do you know where the pain came from?         . . . Yes

    Do you care about all the pain that I have?     . . . Yes

    Jesus, could (person) ever make right the pain that he/she has caused me? . . No

    What has that pain done to you, Jesus?         . . . Hurt him

    Can you show me a word picture of what this pain has done to my heart?                . . . Broken ?

    What do you want me to do with all of this pain?     . . . Give it to Jesus

    Jesus, can you take it all?     . . . Yes

    Do I have to continue to carry it?     . . . No

    What if (person) doesn’t, can’t or won’t make it right with me?
        Am I stuck with it?         . . . No give it to Jesus

    Can you replace where all of that pain was with complete peace in my heart?

. . Yes
    Gods peace should flood your heart!

    Jesus, have I truly let you have all of the the pain?         . . .Yes

    Do I have to forgive (person) for the pain he/she caused me?         . . . Yes

    Jesus, would you take all of the debt (person)
    owed me
    off of his/her account
    and move it all to my account
    as I fully forgive them?
    
    I accept all the charges just like you did
    for me on the cross.
    I agree to live with the consequence
    of (person) sin
    as I forgive him/her.

Lord, I call all of my bitterness, resentment, un-forgiveness, and resistance towards (person) my sin against you,

Lord, I hated him for his sin and you did not hate me for my sin you forgave me and remember it no more.    Psalm 103:12-13.

Would you please forgive me for my sin of un-forgiveness?
 

I also ask that you take back all of the “place”, opportunity, or base of operation
in my soul that I have given to the devil by my bitterness, I yield it back to your control.  (Eph. 4:27)  

Jesus, as you examine my heart, you knowing it better than I do (Palm139),

have I truly and fully forgiven (person)     as you forgave me (Col 3:13)?

Jesus because you know my heart better than I do, do you see any other;

        Pain in my heart?

(Repeat previous questions for each new event remembered)

        Shame in my heart?

        Guilt in my heart?

        Regret in my heart?

Have I fully forgiven myself to the standard you have forgiven me?

Lord, thank you for hearing my prayer!  
Thank you for the complete peace of heart & mind and relief of all the pain.
 
    The peace of your heart is dependent only on your response to evil done to you.
    Don’t let anyone steal your peace!