After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 

~Matthew 6:9-13

This week we continue with the prayer wheel. We started off with worship, asked for His Will to be done, asked Him to provide our daily needs, and now we ask Him to forgive us as we forgive others.  This is no small order.  If we are to be forgiven of our sins, we must forgive those who have wronged us in the past.  I know that for the longest time my Ex and his friends held me back so much because I just couldn’t forgive them. The gossip, the pain they all inflicted- people who claimed Christ and yet had been very un-Christ-like in their actions towards me. I was bitter (as I wrote about just recently in another post) and it hindered me from the blessings of God. This past Sunday the pastor spoke of how if we stick around the memorials of the past “in the wilderness,” we will never “cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land (promises of God).”  A profound thought.

God doesn’t want us living in the past. 

How can we expect God to forgive us if we hold grudges against others? 

God is a perfect God and He cannot move in places where anger, bitterness and hatred live. 

When you let go and forgive others, His love will come in like a flood and you will feel His amazing power heal you. 

I talked with my “sister” on Sunday about how, from now on, every time I start to “revisit the memorials of the past” that I was going to claim “I’m crossing the Jordan to my promises!!” So do it with me readers!!! Forgive those in your past and shed the weight they hold on your life! Claim your future promises every time the things of your past (and the anger, hurt, and/or bitterness) try to haunt you.  When you are looking unto Jesus and the things He has for you, you cannot help but shed the past! For in Him is all fullness of joy. In Him we find peace. In Him nothing is impossible!  Forgive those who have wronged you and find His love sweep over you as He freely forgives you of all you’ve done wrong! 🙂

Jesus, 

Thank You that Your principals are always for our good. We cannot enjoy the blessings you want for us if we are weighed down by the past. Anger, hurt, bitterness, and shame only harm the blessings You want to put into our lives.  I am learning that sometimes You withhold blessings because we are not ready to receive them yet and would only break them like a baby would if given a priceless crystal vase.  Thank You that You want to help us be ready for our blessings and will even help us forgive others if we just ask (in prayer!). You are a mighty, wonderful God and I love You so much Jesus. 

Rebekah M. 

Related posts:

Part 1: https://beingrebekah.com/2013/03/11/prayer-monday-the-prayer-wheel-part-1-praise/

Part 2: https://beingrebekah.com/2013/03/18/prayer-monday-the-prayer-wheel-his-will/

Part 3: https://beingrebekah.com/2013/04/01/prayer-monday-the-prayer-wheel-daily-needs/

Part 4: https://beingrebekah.com/2013/04/08/prayer-monday-the-prayer-wheel-our-debts/