Weekly Prayer: A Prayer for a Forgiving Heart
SCRIPTURE:
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34
WEEKLY PRAYER REFLECTION:
While we were on our mission trip in Brussels something happened that I believe the Lord will keep teaching me through for a long time. We were trying to make our way through the crowded streets near the town square during a heavy rain. People were rushing in every direction. We were trying to get our kids their promised Belgian waffles before running to catch our train.
In the middle of all of that movement I was hit hard by a large box carried by two men. It knocked the air out of me and the men kept going without a glance or an apology. My daughter looked worried. I was hurting and, honestly, offended by how they brushed past me without care.
But before the feelings could settle in I heard myself say out loud, I forgive them. It surprised me. Yet right in that moment the Lord spoke something into my heart that felt like a deep truth I needed to hold on to. I heard, You cannot love what you are offended by.
It stopped me in my tracks. We were in Brussels to pray for the people there. If I had chosen to hold on to that offense my prayers would have been weighed down by it. My heart would have shifted from love to frustration. God reminded me that forgiveness clears the way for love to flow. It frees our prayers. It keeps our hearts steady so we can minister to the people He puts in our path.
I want to grow into someone who forgives quickly and who refuses to let offense take root. I want my first response to be grace. And so I pray for that, for myself and for all of us who want to love people well.
WEEKLY PRAYER:
Father,
Thank You that You taught us how to forgive. Your example on the cross, “forgive them, for they know not what they do,” is perfect. You did not receive an apology in order to forgive. You forgave while their insults were still coming at You. You forgave for their sake, not Yours. Through Your forgiveness You opened the way for them to be received by the Father.
Give us hearts that forgive others as You did. Give us humility and grace to love those who offend us. Let nothing block our prayers for Your people.
Amen.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
When have you felt the sting of offense recently and how did you respond?
How does holding on to offense affect the way you pray for others?
What helps you forgive quickly and what makes it harder?
How might God be inviting you to pray for the people who have hurt you?
Who is God calling you to love without allowing offense to settle in your heart?
