The Law of Forgiveness
“And when ye stand to pray, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26But if ye do not forgive neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Mark 11:25-26;
It is so important that we learn to forgive others; more important than we realize. Holding on to past and present hurt and anger can become destructive. It can destroy our inner-being. Living with an unforgiving spirit can lead to illness; it can keep us from moving forward in a positive light. We also block our own blessings when we choose not to forgive.
This chapter will teach us how to recognize who we need to forgive and the steps we should take to forgive. It will also remind us that in our imperfections we have more than likely wronged someone by saying or doing something and we need to be forgiven as well.
As a child of God and as a citizen of the kingdom of God; we need to understand the Law of Forgiveness. The devil works overnight trying to hinder us from being effective for God and His Kingdom.
The devil uses techniques that cause us to operate in unforgiveness. Unforgiveness is a show stopper to keep us from flowing in the promises (power, blessing, anointing and provision) of God.
Mark 11:25-26; “25And when ye stand praying, forgive if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26But if ye do not forgive neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
A lack of forgiveness can block dreams and goals from manifesting in every area of your life. I want to teach you how to recognize and remove them. Sometimes our thoughts, feelings and strategies only need fine tuning for our grandest goals and dreams to come true. Forgiving others is often hard to do because it hurts to extend it to undeserving and hard-hearted people.
To release a wrong-doer instead of exacting a just penalty requires that we reach out in love, rejecting the temptation to hold on to bitterness and resentment. This is contrary to our natural inclinations, thus the old adage, to err is human, and to forgive is divine. Forgiveness is not forgetting the wrong that was done; some hurts cut so deep that forgetting is impossible.
We can forget about the anger and hurt, but the fact remains branded in our minds. Forgiveness takes place when the victim accepts the loss and/or injury done to him and deliberately cancels the debt owed him by the offending person. Forgiveness is an act of your will and God will honour it. But, un-forgiveness and the resentment and bitterness it generates is deadly. It is optional to forgive or not to forgive but to be bitter and unforgiving costs far more than it is worth.
Husbands forgive your wives. Wives forgive your husbands. Children forgive your parents.
Anger must be dealt with openly and honestly, not denied or ignored. Either it must be vented in retaliation or the injured party must accept his own anger, bear the burden of it, and confess it in prayer to release himself and to set the other person free.
Revenge always hurts the revenged far more than the one at whom it is levelled! In other words, our pattern must be the grievous and substitutionary death of Christ.
He willingly received the hurt and evil of the entire human race in His own body on the tree (I Peter 2:21-24) to pay the debt for our guilt. He now offers what He has wrought as a free gift to undeserving and guilty persons so they can be free (Romans 6:23; John 10:28-30).
1 Peter 2:21-24; “21For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
Romans 6:23; “23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
John 10:28-30; “28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.30I and my Father are one.”
One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit's work in life is the quality of meekness. It is a quality which is nurtured and abetted by practicing forgiveness. This highly prized quality will cause us to be able to accept God's dealings with us as good, without disputing or resisting them.
Meekness will also cause us to be able to bear one another's burdens cheerfully and for Jesus' sake, enabling us to enter into the mystery of Christ's sufferings.
As nothing else will, forgiveness takes us into the mysteries of grace where God forgives us unconditionally on the basis of the substitutionary payment by another
In Mark 11:25-26 says….
“25And when ye stand praying, forgive if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Christianity teaches that forgiveness originates with God. Christian believers are taught they are to forgive others as God has forgiven them. God's ultimate forgiveness for the sins or wrongful actions of humanity comes through accepting the blood of Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice and substitute for his justice. They are taught to pray and ask God for forgiveness for their sins. Believers can gain a release from guilt and fear through the practice of forgiveness. By forgiving others, we learn to forgive ourselves and thus our illusions of being separate can be healed.
Apostle Paul, who played a major role in establishing Christianity said, "Forgive as the Lord forgave you,"
WHO SHOULD I FORGIVE?
You should forgive everyone you can remember, living or deceased, from early childhood right through today. Say an additional forgiveness prayer for anyone you may have forgotten.
You can also forgive institutions, political parties, governments, etc. However, remember that people run these organizations. When all the layers are peeled back, it is still a relationship that we are talking about: It is still a person or persons you are forgiving.
II. HOW DO I KNOW I NEED TO FORGIVE?
You know you need to forgive someone if you feel (or think you might feel) anger, hurt and/or resentment toward them. The first person that popped into your head when you read this is obviously the person you need to begin with, and then proceed in the order that people come to your mind. I can guarantee you that the person with whom you're most angry, resentful and unforgiving will pop into your head immediately.
What if someone needs to forgive me? If you have hurt someone and would like their forgiveness, you can use the forgiveness prayer that I have provided at the end of this chapter. This prayer is the same as the prayer you need to say to forgive others, you're just replacing the words "I" or "Me" with the word "You," or their name. You can still forgive regardless by saying this prayer.
Forgiveness is something you do for yourself, First and foremost, many people have the wrong ideas about forgiveness; they think to forgive means condoning the wrong done against them. They believe they have to contact the people who hurt them and get them involved. They think that forgiveness is something you do for the other people, that it's a selfless act. While all this sounds noble, it's simply not true. Forgiveness doesn't negate bad behavior. Forgiveness doesn't mean you agree with or accept how you were treated. Forgiveness is not to be confused with pardon.
People should still be held responsible for their behaviour whether it is immoral, unethical, illegal or all three. When you forgive, you are releasing yourself from this person and their actions on all level. Forgiveness actually places power back in your hands. Forgiveness also doesn't mean you will allow that person to treat you in a manner you don't deserve again.
Secondly, you certainly do not have to get in touch with the person you're forgiving. Sometimes the people we need to forgive aren't around. They could be in other states, other countries or even deceased. Those you forgive don't necessarily have to know you've forgiven them. The important thing is that you let go and free yourself from the anger and resentment.
Forgiveness breaks a bound of negativities, although "unforgiveness" isn't an actual word, it should be. We all may have experienced "unforgiveness" at one time or another, by holding back forgiveness, and maybe even nurturing our hurt, anger or resentment. Unforgiveness is a blessing blocker, a show stopper. The negative between you and the personal targets of your unforgiveness actually creates a steel like bond that keeps you tied to them. This negative attachment is stagnant and immobile, and keeps you from being your best self it keeps you from achieving your highest good.
Yes, lack of forgiveness keeps you literally "glued" in a sense to the last person in the world you don’t want to be harnessed too. It may be difficult to believe that sincerely repeating a simple prayer can free you from your bondage, but it really can free you. It’s been proven over and over by talking with true believers.
When you apply the Law of Forgiveness, the negativity that has bonded you to another person is immediately released, In turn, it releases you to flow in the blessing of God, bringing what you desire, and bringing the highest goodness to you. There are always positive results from forgiving. Sometimes the results seem no less than miraculous.
Breaking negative bonds affects others as well. While the person(s) being forgiven may not know what in the world hit them, they will experience the effects of the negative bond being broken and being released.
The effects on the person that is forgiven are usually positive as well. Their hearts may soften in ways that are unbelievable to them as well as to the people that know them. They may feel the sudden need to call, e-mail or apologize to you seemingly out of nowhere. People who interact with those they have forgiven through this prayer say they are more positive, more pleasant, and even nicer than they have been in years.
Contacting the person you are forgiving is not necessary to contact the other person or persons for the forgiveness to work. For some people, it may not even be appropriate to make contact. You can freely forgive as many people as you choose without leaving your home. it is not necessary to do so in order for the process to work. Usually, the person for whom the prayer is being said is quite surprised to hear they are being so freely forgiven.
III. HOW TO ENACT THE LAW OF FORGIVENESS
When I refer to the Forgiveness Prayer, I am talking about the process described below. You will say this prayer for anyone you wish to forgive, and also to forgive yourself. The prayer of forgiveness that follows will be used for everyone from your childhood to the present. You do not need to reconcile or continue the relationship in order to use the forgiveness prayer. There are three steps to positively affect difficult relationships. These three steps will incorporate the Prayer of Forgiveness. In addition, there are two other steps used for relationships you wish to reconcile, improve or continue.
Make a list is helpful for some of us to make a list of those we would like to forgive. It doesn't matter if it takes you several days or weeks to work through your list.
The important thing is you have begun the process. Make a list of everyone you can think of that you would like to forgive, from your present and from your past. Also, make a list of people you have wronged, whose forgiveness you seek. Forgiveness works freely both ways.
First, set aside a quiet time when you are least likely to be interrupted. Turn off all disruptive electronics inform everyone in your home that you are not to be interrupted. Also, ensure your pets are settled. Sit in a comfortable place and a comfortable position.
Bring the person you wish to forgive into your mind's eye. As much as possible, see them happy and surrounded by the love of God. If you have a number of people to forgive, you may wish to complete this in several sessions.
THE FORGIVENESS PRAYER
Bring each person into your mind's eye one at a time, and say:
Heavenly Father, In the Name of Jesus, I forgive each of them _________, __________. Next, visualize then smiling sincerely and accepting your forgiveness. When you say, "and all again is well between us," this means `that you are releasing them." It doesn't mean you're now buddies. Next, see that person walking off a stage or out a door, and bring the next person into your mind's eye. You can say the prayer aloud or silently If you are forgiving a group, organization or country, picture the group in your mind's eye and state the forgiveness prayer.
You may even visualize the group members saying the prayer to one another. To make forgiveness real, you must be sincere. It is recommended that you should state the prayer as it is written.
Remember if you change the words around to continue to justify your anger such as, "I forgive you for not being the person I wanted you to be," or something similar, this means you are not willing to "release" and "let go." Therefore, you will not receive the full benefits of complete forgiveness.
FORGIVE OTHERS
Heavenly Father, In the Name of Jesus, I forgive you completely and freely, I release you and let you go. As far as I'm concerned, the incident that happened between us ___________ is finished forever. I wish the best for you. I wish for your highest good. I hold you in prayer ________________. I am free and you are free, and all again is well between us. Peace be with you. Thank You in Jesus name, Amen
Summary
When you really think about the power of forgiveness, no matter what circumstance, situation, or problem you facing; you are the one who is in power as you operate in the law of Forgiveness. Unforgiveness is like being incarcerated for the event that has occurred. See, the devil is seeking for an opportunity to block each one of us from the blessings of God through unforgiveness. When you have unforgiveness in your life it means that your hands are full, but the moment that you forgive you are releasing something (someone) and your hands are open to receive the blessing from God. Whatever the devil may bring, we must reorganize so that we are in power, and we can remain in power through the Law of Forgiveness.
Please remember if you don’t forgive, the devil wins, but if you forgive, you win. The devil wants to hold you in bondage through unforgiveness, but as you flow in the law of forgiveness you will not be snared and trapped by the enemy and you will be free to flow in the blessings of God and enjoy all that He has for you.
Everyone needs to practice the Law of Forgiveness. Even though forgiving others is not always easy to do; it is necessary to do. When we do not forgive someone but decide to hold on to anger, hurt, and resentment; we are constantly tied to that person. But, being sincere in repeating a simple prayer can release you from that bondage. By engaging in The Law of Forgiveness; you will feel better and unblock your blessings. Also, it is pleasing to God when we learn to forgive and you will be in a position to Yoke up with Jesus and the Kingdom of God Government, we must not allow unforgiveness to operate in our lives.
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please see my books
(07) Yoking up with Jesus and the Kingdom of God Government
(8) Spiritual Warfare
