More About Forgiveness
God must really be trying to impress upon someone (all of us actually) how critically important forgiveness is, because I received the following email this morning from a lady who probably isn’t aware of the recent SOF posts about it! Well, the Lord sure is persistent!
“FORGIVENESS…
Posted on August 29, 2006 at 01:37:54 AM by A Jackie Redwine Devotional
Forgiveness
Many people tell me they would like to forgive, but they have been so deeply offended that they can’t forgive. In such situations it may become necessary to engage in spiritual warfare against demonic powers that might keep you bound to unforgiveness.
In these instances you must stand against demonic spirits and attitudes of unforgiveness, bitterness, rage, disappointment and other influences that keep you miserable. Evil spirits must be cast out, attitudes renewed by God’s Word and the Holy Spirit of God given freedom to work in order to obtain a genuine spiritual victory.
As you pray, declare your forgiveness every day to the Lord. As you do this over a period of time, God’s grace will break through that tough exterior produced by hurt and grant genuine forgiveness in your heart.
Force yourself to forgive. Don’t wait for it to happen naturally. It won’t happen. You must take control in the name of Jesus. Each time you do this, God will honor your obedience and fill your heart with forgiveness. Greater freedom in your prayer life will result, and the Lord will greatly develop your spiritual potential.
Lord, give me the grace today to release offenses. Don’t let my heart be polluted by the darkness of anger and bitterness.”
Then as even more confirmation, the following from Marsha Burns’ Small Straws post on September 07, 2006, speaks of moving past unforgiveness too.
“September 7, 2006: Beloved, trust Me with the issues that produce oppression and hopelessness. Certainly if there was anything that you could do to fix it, you would have done so. The only thing left for you to do is release it to Me, says the Lord. And, in order to do that you must let go once and for all and move past this point of despair and victimization. That is the only road to recovery and victory. Leave the past behind and move forward into the realm of hope and a new beginning.
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”