This appeal to God in the Lord’s prayer is challenging…it requires that I have forgiven those who have sinned against or wronged me. This week, let’s each take some quiet time with God, inviting him to reveal where we might be withholding forgiveness or neglecting the offer of forgiveness. As you pray, invite God to speak or to show you where he sees room to forgive others. Finally, pray for the desire, the words and the courage to do so.
Mercy, kindness, humility, tenderness and patience. How can we tend to our ability to offer these gifts to people in our lives or in our path? As you read the verses today, consider which part rises in your mind as one you’d like to expand in. Invite God to help grow your ability to bring more of that trait into your everyday engagement with others.
Use these verses as a personal prayer today. Which part connects most deeply with you? Where do you cry out to God in despair today? Where do you need God to hear you? Where do you need to share with God the hardness in your heart, or seek his forgiveness for an action you took?
When we have been wronged by someone it is in our human nature to distance ourselves or worse, to vilify them. Who are you currently disconnected from, or have declared an enemy? Ask God to help you find the tenderness in your own heart to pray for them and move toward forgiveness.
We end the week with confession between us and God. By voicing our confession to him, we cease hiding. We release the power of the things we are hiding by sharing them and seeking God’s forgiveness for them.
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources). You can also download The Bible Project App HERE.
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
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Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
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