SCRIPTURE
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses (Mark 11:25).
WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT
One of the most vast subjects in Scripture is the topic of forgiveness, and our entire salvation is based on it. Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sins so we could be forgiven by God. This is why it is so important to forgive. Jesus taught that we can’t expect to be forgiven by God when we can’t forgive others (see Matt. 18:21-35). That said, sometimes it can be hard to get past the feelings of resentment regarding what others have done to us and to stop reliving the hurtful memories. This is where we ask God for the strength to forgive. It may be difficult in our own power, but forgiveness begins with acknowledging we must do so, and we can ask God to help us. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean every relationship needs to be restored; in fact, certain relationships cannot be rebuilt for many reasons. What it does mean is that you aren’t continuously thinking about vengeance or how they hurt you. Make the firm decision to release the wrongdoings of others from your mind and begin that today by simply declaring, “I forgive them!”
Taken from The Daily Decree devotional book published by Destiny Image. For a complete collection of Brenda Kunneman’s daily decrees, click here to order The Daily Decree.