Day 17 - 40 Day Prayer & Empowerment Challenge

You may ask, “How do I forgive?”   The answer really is as simple as, “Just do it!”  I believe the more appropriate questions may be, “Why do I want to hold on to this situation so badly?”, “Why do I want this pain in my life?” and “Why is it that I rather be a victim versus victor?”  Those are questions that only you can answer for you and when you can with accuracy, then you can chose whether you are ready to move on to forgiveness or not.  It is not that you cannot forgive, it is that you will not forgive. Pointblank, forgiveness is a choice that is made or not made.

Sometimes, we are unsuccessful in moving on because we are never prepared for the hurt that comes to us.  Furthermore, though we experiences these bouts of transgressions throughout our life time, neither are we equipped with a blueprint for intervention during these times.  Therefore, if it is your desire and intention to be a true forgiver, it is important to have a plan and to use it.   This design may or may not work for you, nonetheless I want to share a couple things I do when I am struggling to forgive a wrongdoer. They are listed below.

1)      Talk about how I am feeling to a trusted confidant (no more than two people)

2)      Don’t rehearse the offense over and over by telling everybody about it. This just fuels the fire.

3)      Take time for myself to feel the pain and cry if needed, every day if necessary

4)      Give myself a deadline to be over it (one day, one week, or one month, but not much longer.  The deeper you dig that hole the harder it is to get out).

5)      I pray for (not against) the person who has wronged me (even if I don’t mean it, I pray until I do)

6)      I think of others I have offended as to put myself in my offenders shoes

7)      I forgive!

This would be a good time to come up with your own method.  Think of ways that you’ve gotten over a past offense.  What did you do about it?  How did you get through so quickly?  Write down what you remember and put it away so you can refer to it when it’s needed.  We want to walk in freedom not in bondage which mean we’ve got to create the way to freedom.  A road is paved with a plan and having a plan for forgiveness will get you to your place of sovereignty.

Lord God, please help me sister who has struggled with carrying resentment in her heart and has found it nearly impossible to forgive.  Pour out your creative power upon her now as she writes her plan.  Give her vision and provide clarity so that her plan is clear, concise, realistic, attainable, and effective.  Father, we know that is your will that we love you above all, love and treat our neighbors as ourselves, and live in peace with everyone.  Help us father to exemplify this kind of life even when those we interact with on a daily bases do not.   Set us free so that others might see your example through us and experience the same freedom and power they see in us, because we know that you want it for us all!  Thank you & Amen!

 #IAmMySistersKeeper