As Jewish leaders stoned Stephen to death for publically sharing the gospel, Saul of Tarsus, later known as the apostle Paul, stood by and approvingly watched. Steven was the first martyr of the early church. Prayer #2: Stephen Prays for His Murderers
Every act of our forgiveness can be just as powerful a witness to unbelievers as Jesus was on the cross when he took on the sins of the world. Jesus would never ask us to do something he hasn’t done himself. Jesus forgave his sins, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:43Įven “The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, ‘Surely this was a righteous man.’” Luke 23:47 Hearing Jesus’ powerful prayer of forgiveness, one of the taunting criminals hanging on a cross beside Jesus realized that Jesus must be who he said he was and pleaded, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom” ( Luke 23:42 NLT). Tortured and nailed to the cross at Calvary as an innocent man wrongly accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” ( Luke 23:34 NLT). Jesus was the ultimate role model of forgiving what seems unforgivable. Prayer #1: Jesus Prays for His Persecutors Here are 4 of these examples of powerful prayers and forgiveness in the Bible: 1 John 1:9Īlexander Pope wrote in the 18 th century, “To err is human to forgive, divine.” God never sets expectations that we cannot meet (with his help) and he often provides us biblical examples of men and women who have applied his principles to their lives. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Once you have received Christ’s forgiveness, you’ll be capable of extending that same forgiveness to others. If God forgives undeserving sinners like us, how can we do any less to those who wrong us?Īll the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. Unconditional forgiveness is possible through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit when we accept the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ into our hearts and souls. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. That’s a relief! But we can be instrumental in someone receiving God’s forgiveness of his or her sins by sparking curiosity about how we can be so forgiving or our unforgiving spirit could do the complete opposite.ĭo not judge, and you will not be judged. God doesn’t forgive others because we forgive them, nor does he withhold forgiveness because we choose not to forgive. 6:12, 14-15Īnd when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 3:13 NLTĪs we pray for God to forgive us, we need to remember the qualifying stipulation he puts on our own forgiveness when we pray the Lord’s Prayer.Īnd forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. We forgive because God told us to for our own good and then we lean on him for the will and courage to follow through. In our own power, unconditional forgiveness probably won’t happen. Remaining angry or bitter is detrimental to us emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Letting ill emotions brew and stew in our hearts is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. We can’t wait for that “forgiving feeling” or "the right time" to forgive. God doesn’t take into consideration our offense when he forgives us, but don’t we often want to put a spin on the situation to feel justified in not forgiving others.įorgiveness is an act of the will it cannot be a feeling. We have to eliminate thoughts like, It’s not fair. While we know in our Christian hearts that we are to forgive because Christ forgave us, realistically it’s not always easy. The harder you squeeze it, the more slippery it becomes.” provides a descriptive word picture of forgiveness, “The concept of forgiveness is as slippery as a greased watermelon in a swimming pool.
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