Breakfing Free from Spiritual Strongholds: Praying God’s Word
– Overcoming Unforgiveness
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Lord, as hard as this may be for me to comprehend or rationalize, Your Word is clear: if I forgive others when they sin against me, You, my heavenly Father will also forgive me. (Matthew 6:14)
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Bitterness is like a rock thrown into a placid pond; after its initial splash, it sends out concentric circles that disturb the whole pond. It starts with ourselves, expands to our spouse, then to our children, friends and colleagues.
– Dr. Church Lynch, I Should Forgive But…
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Unforgiveness is not a self=contained disease. It defiles many. When life heats… its acid boils forth, burning everyone it touches. Neither is forgiveness self-contained. It heals many. When life heats… its living waters overflow-refreshing everyone it touches.
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Intimacy with God means sharing the depths of our hearts with Him.
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David was a man after God’s own heart because he poured his heart out to God instead of spewing his acidic feelings on everyone else.
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Two important things happen when we learn to pray honestly about the person who has hurt us:
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We pour the hurt out rather than allowing it to remain and turn bitter. Pouring whatever is in our hearts out to God dramatically decreases our tendancy to grow bitter.
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We articulate our own feelings, thereby placing them in view before our own eyes as well as God’s. This way, we also get a chance to see if something seems ridiculous, out of proportion, or right on target. Our prayers can sometimes help us gain a little insight into our own hearts.
Lastly we must pray FOR the person who has hurt us. <3
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