Forgiveness is the foundation of all freedom that we have in Christ Jesus. Christianity is entirely a religion of love, grace and forgiveness from God our Father through Jesus Christ, our Lord. When we deserved cutting off, because of our rebellious hearts and sinful acts, he laid down his life for our redemption.
The love of God is long-suffering. He waits patiently for his children to turn back to him, to spend time with him, to come home. As his beloved children, so loved – we should love as he loves – freely.
Psalm 103:13-18 says,
“As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
How often do we see God as a compassionate father? Do we know his love? Do we remember his forgiveness in Christ Jesus?
He sees the affects of sin on our lives. He knows that sin brings death, because it is the ultimate separation from God. It is sin that wears us out the way the scorching sun wears out the grass and the flowers. Sin is the mechanism through which we are required to age. This life on earth is marked with the weight of sin. It cannot last forever, because sin brings death. However, there is an answer of hope! Because the Father sent his son Jesus Christ- perfect in every way, fully God and fully man – to carry our sin to the cross, we can be free from sin – completely forgiven and healed. We can know that we will not face eternal condemnation or wrath, but we can look forward to a day when we will take on a new body and live with the Lord forever in heaven.
And as we live in this world, we should be like our Father. We need to have the forgiveness of God flowing through our veins. Every time we decide not to forgive, we are taking up the weapons of the world to fight battles that cannot be won in the flesh. Anger, hatred, discord – none of these can win the battles against evil. We must completely trust the Lord with our emotional needs and forgive others, as Christ has forgiven us.
Even when we justify hating political or public figures, we open ourselves up to the enemy’s power reining in our lives. Unforgiveness can open the gateway for “mental health” issues. Hatred and unforgiveness gives room for the enemy to work and bring us to a place that is dark and far away from God. It can destroy marriage, families, relationships and ultimately brings death.
But, forgiveness brings peace and life. Forgiveness is casting all our cares upon Jesus, because he cares for us. Forgiveness is releasing someone from our judgement and not allowing their weaknesses or sin to ferment inside of our souls, to make us drunk on the bitter wine of hatred.
When we fast and pray, we need to make walking in forgiveness a priority. Cleanse your soul from all anger.
Isaiah 58 gives us a very clear teaching on the need to eliminate not just food from our fast, but anger. It’s not just about outward vitriol and arguing that we need cleansed from. We need a deliverance from stress-filled inner dialogues where one complains or rehearses what to “say” to so and so, if you get a chance to speak your mind. Some may turn their anger inwardly toward themselves, taking the blame for how they were treated by a loved one. Forgiveness toward others will also release believers from that inner self-anger for those who “stuff” feelings and self-accuse for pain that has occurred.
“Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?”
If we are neglecting the foundational truth of forgiveness and humility, fasting will not result in breakthroughs. In fact, praying to forgive will bring an inward breakthrough, before you see a breakthrough in others!
Today, in our prayer time, pray for the Lord to show you any bitter roots in your soul that he wants to uproot. Ask him to reveal to you any unforgiveness, irritation and impatience that you are living in.
Is there any injury from your past that you are still holding tightly to?
Is there any person whom you can’t seem to make things right with?
Ask God to forgive you for holding these grudges and release them to him.
Is there anything in your child that he/she needs to forgive? Pray for God to forgive your child for anger, unforgiveness and bitterness. Pray that God will topple the strongholds of pain and hatred inside of your child/grandchild and set them free.
But, before you pray for others, pray for yourself to be set free.
Sample Prayer –
Father, in Jesus name, I come before you to ask you for a breakthrough in forgiveness. Thank you for the abundant grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for forgiving me for my sin. Please forgive me for holding onto any unforgiveness and bitterness. Please deliver me from anger, hatred and self-pity.
I forgive (insert name) for his or her sin against me (list what they did.) I release this person from my judgement. I pray for this person, oh Lord. Do your mighty work in this person, in Jesus’ name. Heal me, oh Lord.
I pray that you will deliver me from the devil’s power that is rooted in my unforgiveness. I renounce all anger, rage, bitterness, unforgiveness and hatred, in Jesus’ name. I command the enemy to leave me, in the name of Jesus.
Lord, I pray that you release my child/grandchild from any bitter roots and demonic strongholds of anger/unforgiveness. I stand praying that my child will live in the freedom of the forgiveness of Christ, in Jesus’ name.
Pour your Spirit out into my child that each generation will walk in your truth and the freedom of your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Revealed Ministries 