“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13 NIV
It’s easy to forget at times that our offenses against the God of the universe are great. Any sin is too much for our Heavenly Father to associate with. Without His forgiveness through the saving work of Jesus on the cross, we would be destined for an eternity separated from God – whether we killed someone or told a little white lie. And most of us will fall somewhere in between, with many shortcomings both big and small. Remembering this gives me a different lens through which to view others who’ve hurt me.
Easy for Me to Say
That doesn’t mean forgiveness comes easy. And it certainly doesn’t mean that we should leave ourselves in dangerous or abusive situations. Forgiving someone does not necessarily mean that person gets to hold a place at our table. Setting healthy boundaries is important, and sometimes we need to seek the counsel of clergy or a trained therapist to help.
In light of God’s forgiveness and our command to forgive others, I want to offer two prayers for forgiveness. If you aren’t sure you have received God’s forgiveness and understand that Jesus died as a perfect substitution for our sins so that we can receive forgiveness and live in community with God, please pray the following prayer:
Take Time to Take This In
This is the most important prayer you will ever utter. And it doesn’t have to be in my words. If you prayed this prayer while reading this article or you didn’t pray it because you don’t understand it, I would love to visit with you further. Shoot me an email at lauren@laurensparks.net. Or hit the contact me tab at the top of this site. What you send will be confidential and I would be happy to communicate with you by email, zoom or whatever we can come up with. Or find a Bible believing church in your area and make an appointment to talk with a minister there. No matter what you do, don’t let it be nothing. Seek deeper knowledge and understanding for yourself and don’t keep such good news quiet!
If you have previously offered a prayer like the one above and are struggling to forgive someone in your life, here is a prayer for you:
I know this is tough, but I’m praying for you in your prayers for forgiveness. Don’t forget to share on social media or with a friend who could benefit. It would mean so much to me. And if you don’t want to miss a First Friday Prayers post, subscribe over on the right hand side of this page. And if I can pray for you in more specific ways, drop me a message. It would be an honor.
And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!
Just a couple of days ago I had a conversation with friends that was very similar to what Lois Flowers is trying to say in How to Stop Being Too Easily Pleased by Distractions.
The Link Up
1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.
2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.
3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).
We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.
MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
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Now Let’s Link Up!
