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 thank you for listening to your daily prayer the podcast dedicated to helping you find the words you need to connect with your father in Heaven no matter what is going on in your life today you can trust that God wants to hear from you right after the short word for my sponsor we will pray through today's prayer together
 when we struggle to free gift written and read by Kyle Norman
 forgive as the Lord forgave you Colossians 3 verse 13
 what do we do when we find it hard to forgive
 how do we cope when everything in ass wants to Define another by the hurt they have caused
 how do we forgive when we feel that the offending party simply doesn't deserve it
 recently I had this question posed To Me by a person ER they are teenage son was having a hard time forgiving the people who wounded him in the past he had good reason his father was not a nice man and his grandmother who lived with him for the first 12 years of his life moved away without any notice he simply returned home from school one day and she was gone
 both these events occurred years ago. The lingering effects are tangible in his life
 he just can't forgive his mother lamented
 we sometimes think that forgiveness is about pretending that I hurt or an offense did not take place forgive and forget we say when a Jeep harm is done it stays with us we can't forget and because we can't forget be mistakenly think that we are not able to forgive
 forgiving someone who has wounded us it's not about sweeping things under the rug or pretending that the offense did not happen
 forgiveness is about refusing to let the hurt control Our Lives
 that is if we sit in unforgiveness we continue to Define ourselves by the hurt we may say that we have moved on but that wound still hold sway over us thinking about the person or the event causes negativity to rise within us we hold grudges we desire revenge and often a deep but vibrant bitterness takes hold
 unforgiveness is a prison with traps Us in shame resentment and hatred for the more the energy that it takes to hold on to these feelings eventually turned inward they sap our strength and darken our spirits
 Perhaps it is for this reason that Jesus commanded us to forgive those who have sinned against us
 Jesus commands us to forgive not because the offending person has earned it. Because the act of forgiveness frees us
 forgiveness frees us from the burden of holding a grudge forgiveness frees us from the toxic bitterness that eats away at us
 in bread for the journey Henri nouwen writes forgiveness allows us to claim our power and not let these events destroy us and Abel's them to become events that deep in the wisdom of our hearts forgiveness indeed heels memory
 when we take the snap to forgive another we are the ones who get healed we become restored
 are you going through a time where you find it difficult to forgive
 are you harboring feelings of resentment or bitterness and are these feelings ones that you would love to rid yourself up
 Jesus doesn't want your life to be dominated by sin whether that's your own sin or someone else has these are burdens that you are not meant to carry
 what made it look like for you to stop carrying the weight of another person sin forgiveness is about giving everything to God we released the person and whatever they have done into the hands of Jesus
 this allows us to put away the desire for revenge or recompense we no longer feel invested in the others destruction we never overcome evil by evil the only overcome evil by goodness mercy and love this is the way of Jesus let us pray
 braces and Almighty father I thank you for the gift of forgiveness in my life I recognize that your mercy and Grace to me are completely unearned they are gift given in your steadfast love
 I also know that it is because I have been forgiven but you call me to forgive but Lord I am having a hard time offering forgiveness
 ongoing feelings of pain and resentment rise within me I want to rid myself of these feelings but I find they stick with me and in the darker moments of my life I wish that revenge and wrath be visited upon the one who hurt me Lord I am so tired of holding this burden my spirit is exhausted from holding on to this garage help me to be free from these feelings of malice anger hatred and bitterness
 I wish to be filled with your love joy peace and gentleness so I place before you today the person who hurt me and the hurt that I have caused
 I hold them before your cross as the place where you crucify all the hurts and evils of this world as I release the other person into your care I ask that you come to me a new
 when your spirit Heal Me restore me and Transform Me
 may your mercy fill my memory and your grace flow in my heart and may you give me the Bold strength to free camp
 this I Pray for the praise of Christ Jesus my Savior
 all men
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