Day 15: Kingdom Forgiveness: Letting Go of Offences - 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting
Forgiven People Forgive
Welcome to Day 15 of our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Today’s subject is one of the hardest in the Christian life, and one of the most freeing.
Paul writes:
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13 (NIV)
Paul expects that there will be grievances, even in a healthy church. The question is what we do with them.
The Measure of Forgiveness
As the Lord Forgave You
The standard is not how sorry the other person is, or whether they deserve it. The standard is how the Lord forgave us: freely, fully and at great cost to Himself.
The Servant Who Forgot
Jesus told a story about a servant who was let off a debt he could never repay. He then went out and seized a fellow servant by the throat over a small sum (Matthew 18:21–35). The point is uncomfortable. When we refuse to forgive, we have forgotten how much we have been forgiven.
Jesus also said plainly that if we forgive others, our heavenly Father will forgive us (Matthew 6:14–15). Forgiveness is not an optional extra in the Kingdom.
What Forgiveness Is and Is Not
It is not pretending. Forgiveness does not say that what happened was acceptable or that it did not hurt.
It is not always reconciliation. Trust takes time to rebuild, and in some situations it is not safe to return. You can forgive and still keep wise boundaries.
It is releasing the debt. You stop demanding payment and hand the matter to God, who judges justly (Romans 12:19).
It is a decision before it is a feeling. The feelings often follow later, and sometimes slowly.
Why Letting Go Sets You Free
Paul tells us to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, and to be kind and compassionate, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave us (Ephesians 4:31–32). Bitterness is a weight carried by the person who was hurt. Forgiveness puts it down.
Three Steps for Today
Write the names. Who do you still hold something against? Write the names down before God.
Release each one. Pray, “Lord, I choose to forgive them for what they did. I release them to You.” Say it aloud if you can.
Bless them. Ask God to do good to them. This is hard, and it is powerful.
If the hurt is deep, you do not have to carry it alone. Please speak to one of our pastoral team.
Prayer for Today:
Heavenly Father, thank You for forgiving me completely through the blood of Jesus. You know the hurts I have been holding and the people who caused them. Today I choose to forgive. I release them into Your hands and I let go of bitterness. Heal what has been wounded in me, and fill me with Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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