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•A Prayer to Forgive as We Have Been Forgiven•By Anthony Valente👉 “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)Imagine, if you will, that you are out walking and come to the fence around my house. There is a sign that says, “No trespassing.” However, you decide that you would rather take a chance of any potential consequence by taking the “shortcut” across my property. So, you climb the fence into my yard and begin walking. Suddenly you see a blur of black and begin shaking in fear as a snarling, growling large Doberman blocks your path. In that frightening moment, your sin would leave you overwhelmed by the choice that you had made to trespass. What if though, at that moment, I came out my front door, immediately assessed the situation, and called my dog to come sit by my side so that you could safely run back to the fence and climb out of my yard to take the long way home? And then what if we both live the rest of our lives never dealing with this situation again? It is a moment that is put behind us, not to be faced again. That is exactly what happens when I forgive you for the sin or the trespassing that you attempted against me. People intentionally choose to sin against us, and even more, to sin against God. They hurt us with their intentions, their words, their greed, and their selfishness. In the midst of this reality and the sting that it brings, we can take comfort in this truth: they will someday face God and He will deal with their sin against you. Day after day, we all trespass against one another, against God. Trespasses are deliberate intentions to ignore the boundaries established by God. It is a sin when we choose to climb over that fence put up by God to protect us from harm and commit the sin anyway. Just as that fence I put up around my yard was to protect you from the painful bite of my dog, whose only inclination is to protect his territory, so too are the boundaries that God set up to keep us safe. Those boundaries will become clearer and clearer the more we make God our focus and embrace Him as the most important thing in our life.This Bible verse tells us that our choice to forgive or not forgive them for the pain that they have brought will absolutely have eternal consequences for us. It says that if we forgive the sin that others have committed against us, God will forgive us when we sin. If we cannot forgive those who have wronged us and instead harbor that pain, nursing it over and over again, becoming bitter in our soul toward them, God will not forgive us when we sin against Him. So, as you go into this day, reflect and pray over the situations and the people that are causing you angst. Think about those moments when they “jumped” the fence into your space, causing you trouble and heartache. Work steadfastly and doggedly to forgive them, to let the pain go, to cling to Jesus in those situations that seem so impossible to forgive. The more that we fill our minds and hearts with focusing on and loving the Lord, the more that pain will lessen. The more we pray for that person who is just so difficult, the more we will begin to forgive them. The more we forgive, the freer we can live, knowing that our Father in heaven has forgiven us of so many things. Forgiveness is freedom.Let’s pray.✝️ Dear Heavenly Father,Please forgive my trespasses for my deliberate choice to sin against You. Forgive the sinfulness in me that chose to take the shortcut instead of standing strong against the temptation. Help me to forgive those who have hurt me. Help me to release the unforgiveness, and the pain that they have caused. Hold me, comfort me as I journey through learning to forgive them. Be my Father as I live each day, learning to be more like You.In Your name, I pray,AMEN 🙏 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!(Matthew 18:21-22)Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.(Ephesians 4:31-32)“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.(Matthew 6:27)Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.(1 Peter 3:9)If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9)Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.(Luke 6:37)Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.(Proverbs 17:9)“Hatred stirs old quarrels, but love overlooks insults.”(Proverbs 10:12)"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."(Psalm 103:12)"This, then, is how you should pray: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."(Matthew 6:9-13)For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.(Colossians 1:13-14)“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.(Isaiah 43:25)For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans 8:38-39)Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.(Luke 23:34)I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.(Galatians 2:20)“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’(Matthew 25:23)(pic verse)But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”(John 8:1-11)Artist 👨‍🎨 I Am With You Always - David Delfeld