Do you have someone you need to forgive this Christmas? You can forgive and go free, and enjoy the merriest Christmas ever!
Remember when…? That’s a question we hear a lot this time of year. Reminiscing with family and friends, we browse through Christmases gone by, enjoying the memories until inevitably, we stumble across memories we would rather forget.
Suddenly, the pain comes rushing back. The sting of a parent’s criticism, the broken promise of a friend, the rejections, the disappointments, the heartaches…. Or maybe there are fresh wounds from this year that haven’t healed and haven’t been resolved.
What should we do with memories or situations like that? Do we have to drag them along, like baggage, from year to year? No. We can leave them behind. In fact, we must leave them behind. And there’s only one way to do it—through forgiveness.
Some people think it’s too hard to forgive certain offenses or believe they have a right to remain angry and bitter. But the truth is—forgiveness is a choice. And it is also a command.
God has two reasons why He requires us to forgive anyone and everyone:
- It’s a prerequisite for our own forgiveness. Jesus emphasized this point on two different occasions. First, in Matthew 18, in the parable of the unforgiving debtor, where we learn the fate of those who refuse to forgive. Second, in Mark 11:25, when He said, “….if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (NIV).
- Our prayers will not work without forgiveness. The first part of Mark 11:25 is the key: “And when you stand praying…forgive….” Prayer will not work without forgiveness. If you’ve been praying for something and you just can’t seem to get an answer, check your heart for unforgiveness. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring any grudge that’s hidden in your heart to the light. Unclog the channel of faith by forgiving, and you will soon see things you’ve been praying for come to pass.
Forgiveness is a gift. When fully unwrapped, you’ll find peace, joy, healing, prosperity, blessing and a faith that cannot be stopped. That’s why the devil works overtime to convince you to stay out of it. He’ll tell you all the reasons why you’re justified in refusing to forgive, and he’ll replay every bad memory he can find in his file. He knows that a person without offense is a person he can’t touch.
If you’ve been living under the weight of a hurt, this Christmas season is the perfect time to forgive and go free. Unforgiveness clogs the faith channel and keeps you powerless against the mountains in your life!
So, determine to forgive everyone on your list—permanently! When old feelings rise up within you and Satan tries to convince you that you haven’t really forgiven, resist him. Say, “No, I’ve already forgiven that person by faith. I refuse to dwell on those old feelings.”
As you do that, something supernatural will happen within you. The pain once caused by that incident will disappear. The power of God will wash away the effects of it, and you’ll be able to leave it behind you once and for all.
Don’t let unforgiveness make a home in your heart. Forgive and go free this Christmas and prepare for a new year filled with every blessing!
Watch Kenneth Copeland teach you how to release the force of forgiveness in your life!
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