The power of forgiveness, and truly surrendering to God
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. — Ephesians 4:32
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. — Proverbs 19:21
Forgiveness!!! is one of the hardest yet most powerful acts we can make as believers in Christ.
On day 11 of 75 days in Faith, we will discuss this along with truly surrendering to Gods will.
Forgiveness requires us to surrender our hurt, pride, and the desire for vengeance to God, trusting that He knows what’s best for us and will handle the situation appropriately.
We as Christians are nowhere near perfect although sometimes we may think we are.
We must remember that Gods word says, that (we all sin and fall short) of the glory of God; So no matter what the offense we is must forgive, even though we’ve been wronged, and the pain is real.
As Christians, Jesus calls us to a higher standard: to forgive as He has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). He didn’t hold our wrongdoings against us, and in His great mercy, He gives us the opportunity to extend that same mercy to others.
A lot of us believers follow Jesus wholeheartedly (until) He asks us to forgive someone who’s wronged us!
One of the problems with unforgiveness is that it doesn’t just hurt the person who wronged us, it hardens our hearts and affects our relationship with God.
When we refuse to forgive, we build walls around our hearts, and those walls block God’s healing and peace from flowing in.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of (justifying unforgiveness), and convincing ourselves that (they don’t deserve it) or (I’ll forgive when they apologize.)
But God’s Word is clear…
Forgiveness is not based on the other person’s apology or remorse; it’s based on our obedience to God’s command and His work in us.
In addition to forgiveness, we are also called to surrender our lives to God’s will.
Proverbs 19:21 reminds us, (Many are the plans of a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.)
We often have our own ideas about what our lives should look like, what we think we need, and how things should go.
But true peace comes when we release our plans and fully surrender to God’s perfect will.
Surrendering isn’t a one time thing it’s a daily choice and choosing to trust God even when we don’t understand His ways.
It’s saying, “Not my will, Lord, but Yours be done.” When we surrender our hearts and our plans to God, He replaces our anxiety with His peace and our burdens with His strength.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Please help me to forgive quickly and not let my heart be hardened by the hurt others have caused me.
Let me not justify my unforgiveness but help me to extend grace as You have so freely given it to me.
I pray for the wisdom to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and to trust that You will fight my battles.
Vengeance belongs to You, Lord, and I leave all judgment in Your hands.
I surrender my will to You today. I no longer want to follow my own desires and plans, but I want Your will to guide me.
If there is anything You want me to release, make it clear and give me the strength to let it go.
I give my life to You, Lord. Help me to walk in the freedom of forgiveness and the peace of full surrender.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Today, ask God to reveal any unforgiveness or areas where you are still holding on to your own will. Release them to Him and trust that He will lead you in His perfect plan. Keep your heart open and your spirit humble, ready to receive His healing and guidance.