Daily Success! Understanding Forgiveness - Ezekiel Atang

Colossians 3:13 NKJV
 

“bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

If there is any one area that your Christian walk and love life will be tested, it will be in the area of forgiveness. Forgiveness is what has made us Christians, because God had to first forgive us before redeeming and saving us. And He went on to lay it down as a rule that you are not forgiven nor can you be forgiven when you deny people of forgiveness. When people are offended, they sometimes pay lip service to forgiveness, even when they are apologized to.

You don't just forgive by saying "I forgive ". Forgiveness must go beyond the words of your mouth, it must come from your heart. This means that there must be real freedom in your heart when forgiveness 

takes place.
 

a) You must not feel bitter, depressed or angry any time you think of your offender.
b) You should be able to feel free around them each time you come in contact with them on the road.
c) You should be able to whisper a word of prayer over them in your moments alone.
d) Your thoughts of them should not bring ill feelings to your mind. Such feelings are indicative of the fact that forgiveness has not taken place.

This is how to forgive:
 

i. Believe that they did not intentionally hurt you.
 

ii. Make excuse for their wrong doing towards you.
 

iii. Even if they offended you intentionally, think like Jesus; assuming that they didn't know what they were doing.
 

iv. Pray for them from your heart. I am referring to prayers of blessings and favour. If you cannot pray for them, then you cannot forgive them.
 

v. If the animosity persists, then confess and profess your forgiveness for them as often as possible.
 

vi. Where that fails, buy them gifts that touches you.
 

vii. Speak well of them before people in an intentional manner and refuse to join in any negative discussions about them.
viii. persist in all of the above.

Assignment
i. Make a list of people you have not been able to forgive and present it before God for mercy on your life.
ii. Pray for them daily till the ill feeling goes away.
iii. Practice all the steps above.

Prayer
-Lord I reject the spirit of unforgiveness in Jesus Name.
-I receive your loving, forgiving, merciful and long-suffering nature today in Jesus Name.
-I am a forgiver, I am forgiving, and I forgive in Jesus Name.
-Unforgiveness will not rob me of my glorious eternity in Jesus Name.

Nugget
You don't just forgive by saying "I forgive ". Forgiveness must go beyond the words of your mouth, it must come from your heart.

October 16, 2017