Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 8,9,10. Mark: 11:18-33
“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” – Mark 11:25 (KJV)
Forgiveness is the action of forgiving or readiness to forgive. When we are hurt and we hold on to the hurt, unforgiveness creeps in to darken our heart. While forgiveness lightens, unforgiveness darkens your heart and exposes your mind to evil thoughts, mostly of vengeance. Unforgiveness ties down, it enclaves and ensnares the soul but forgiveness releases and ventilates the soul. While unforgiveness breeds hatred, the virtue of forgiveness is a channel of true love. The virtue of forgiveness is a powerful tool for great spiritual accomplishment.
Jesus, in teaching us how to pray, taught us the importance of forgiveness and its role in God’s answer to our prayer, Matthews 6:14-15 (KJV), “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.” This is a very important lesson we must imbibe to run a successful Christian race. I was a victim of the powerful binding chain of bitterness and unforgiveness. For almost one full year I could not communicate effectively with my God. I began to slide into deep darkness. The devil amplified my hurt. I began to react to issues from a bitter heart and wickedness began to take position in my life. My whole life was crashing under the terrible weight of the sin of unforgiveness. It was at that point that the weight of the above scripture dawn on me as the Almighty came to my rescue. Forgiveness, I came to understand, is a very powerful tool to getting answers in prayers and must be guided very well in our hearts.
Forgiveness radiates God’s goodness around us and acts as a bulwark of defence against satanic arrows while unforgiveness opens our hedge of divine protection. We are admonished in Ephesians 4:32 (KJV), “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” When we have hearts loaded with forgiveness dwelling together we enjoy higher dimension of spirituality and progress. We attain higher living in Christ. Forgiveness is a very strong Christian virtue that we must make our lifestyle.
When we accept Christ into our life, the Holy Spirit infuses into our heart the spirit of forgiveness to enable us serve God acceptably, by so doing enabling us to live in true peace and harmony. My dear reader I sincerely invite you to accept Christ into your life today.
Prayer: Father, empty me of bitterness and unforgiveness so I can be free to do your will.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo