Mark 11:25, Romans 4:7; 12:14; Colossians 3:13; 1 Peter 4:8
Yesterday, the Lord awakened me inviting His people to open wide our hearts to forgive, to let the Lord set us free from the old offenses the enemy has still been using to yank us around. Then bitterness and fear will no longer control our reactions, LOVE and grace and peace will.
This Victory Strategy below (#71 in Dare to Be a Mighty Warrior and Delight to Be a Woman of Wonder) offers powerful steps for freedom through forgiveness:
- When an offense against you (whether past or present) brings up anger or hurt, get alone with the Lord as soon as you can.
- Close your eyes to block out any distractions, and ask the Lord where those feelings come from. What happened in your life that opened the door to let that anger, fear or hurt in?
- With your eyes still closed, listen/look for His answer. He is likely to take you to another memory, even something that happened long before the current event that’s bothering you. Allow yourself to remember. Feel what you felt when that happened, and try to put those feelings into sentences, like, “It’s not fair,” or “Everyone is so mean to me,” etc. This exposes the lies the enemy planted in your heart when you went through that experience.
- Then, from the midst of that memory and all the thoughts and feelings that accompany it, choose to forgive. (If this is hard for you, read Strategy #70 again. And remember, forgiveness is not a feeling, it is a choice. Choose to forgive, and your feelings will eventually follow.) I find it especially powerful to speak out loud: “I forgive you, (name), for ….”
- Now, ask God forgiveness for any part you played in the offense, including your unforgiveness. “Lord, please forgive me for my anger and bitterness….”
- And intercede for your offender (Victory Strategy #72, if you have the books mentioned above) asking God’s forgiveness and mercy. “Please forgive (person) and have mercy on him. Set him free from …, and draw him to Yourself….”
- Then, bless him. “In the name of Jesus, I bless (person) with …. (grace, peace, more of Christ, etc.).”
- If the memory God brought you to is not the initial event that was bothering you in #1, check and see if that recent memory is healed now. If not, go through steps 1-4 for that event.
- Whenever any of those memories return, use them as a reminder to forgive and pray for that person. “I forgive (person), and I bless (person) in Jesus’ name….” If you pray all the more for others’ salvation and freedom each time the enemy brings that offense to mind, he will lose more ground by reminding you than not. Eventually, he’ll stop.
- If you still have anger, pain, or other negative emotions regarding an event, follow the Truth Encounter steps (Strategy #18 in the books mentioned above). Or between steps 2 and 3 above, ask the Lord, “Where were You when that happened? What were You doing or saying?” Look around for Him in your memory and listen for His truth to knock down the lies.
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