Forgiveness and Prayer... need some advice

[WomanOfFaith]

Hello, I'm a little confused on something.. don't really want to start a debate..not much into all of that. I was watching Joyce Meyer last night and she was talking about forgiveness. She says that if we don't forgive people, that God will not listen to our prayers. Now, I know that we must forgive others or God does not forgive us. However, I do have a few people that I need to forgive for their part in abusing me, so, it's not a one day thing that will happen overnight. I am praying and asking God to help me to forgive these people. My question is though, does God just not listen to any of my prayers until I completely forgive these people? It just made prayer this morning really discouraging as I kept thinking to myself that God wasn't listening.

God Bless
Tina :heart:

 

[Brighthouse]

EXCELLENT QUESTION!!!!!!!!!! WomanOfFaith! first let me show you a scripture,then you tell me! Matt 18:21-35!! Now with this in mind, I can tell you it took me 8 long years to forgive my early dad, but!!! Everyday I prayed to the Lord to increase his love in me,so that through, and by his power,not my self, I could reach the goal, I knew he wanted. God knows our heart,No one else does!! AND!! YOU KNOW!! TO!

That is all that should ever be said from me about this. This subject is far to important to have foolish speculation on!( 2 Tim 2:23) What Holy Spirit really then began to teach me is 2 things,guard your tongue!! And!! 2 cor 13:5 test self! daily!! As I was faithful in these things,God gave me more and more love,to replace the hurt, bitterness, and anger. ( luke 16:10) Now next how will you know yourself? Because God moves for his children in many different ways,and as you are seeing this, you understand that the fruit one wishes to bear in forgiveness is indeed taking root in us! And then!! We are EVER!!! THANKFUL!! daily to Jesus as well! A great question sister!! one many have, but never have the guts to ask!! Praise God for you!

 

[WomanOfFaith]

Thank you for replying. I guess I asked a question nobody wants to answer. Doesn't make me feel too good

Tina

EXCELLENT QUESTION!!!!!!!!!! WomanOfFaith! first let me show you a scripture,then you tell me! Matt 18:21-35!! Now with this in mind, I can tell you it took me 8 long years to forgive my early dad, but!!! Everyday I prayed to the Lord to increase his love in me,so that through, and by his power,not my self, I could reach the goal, I knew he wanted. God knows our heart,No one else does!! AND!! YOU KNOW!! TO!

That is all that should ever be said from me about this. This subject is far to important to have foolish speculation on!( 2 Tim 2:23) What Holy Spirit really then began to teach me is 2 things,guard your tongue!! And!! 2 cor 13:5 test self! daily!! As I was faithful in these things,God gave me more and more love,to replace the hurt, bitterness, and anger. ( luke 16:10) Now next how will you know yourself? Because God moves for his children in many different ways,and as you are seeing this, you understand that the fruit one wishes to bear in forgiveness is indeed taking root in us! And then!! We are EVER!!! THANKFUL!! daily to Jesus as well! A great question sister!! one many have, but never have the guts to ask!! Praise God for you!

 

[Green Berean]

We live in a fast-food culture where everybody wants everything done pronto. Couple that with the bad habit of reducing everything into a simplistic black-or-white perspective for the sake of religious expediency, and you get confusion and contention on just about every issue imaginable.

What you have to consider is whether God is working through process or crisis. A crisis is not necessarily a bad thing (although we certainly use the word negatively); a crisis is simply an isolated event, and directly contrasts with a process, which is a series of events.

We urge people to forgive, but neglect to mention (or even realize ourselves) that forgiveness is seldom a single act (a crisis), but a series of acts (a process) which culminate into eventual healing and restoration. I praise God that He can forgive instantaneously, and I praise Him that sometimes He empowers us to do the same.
However, it is important to realize that God often chooses to work through a process, as well, so as long as you maintain the process of forgiveness, then you are in God's will.

 

[Brighthouse]

Brother Berean could not be more correct! We all are at different levels of our faith, as well as in our own relationship with our Jesus! Seems the younger we are in the Lord ,the more grace is therefore given to you,but when you are to grow, and you do not,well discipline seems the order of the day!! LOL Grace is given for a purpose,you would not expect a boy or girl of 8 to understand what a boy or girl of 13 is to know. But if the boy or girl who is 13, acts like the 8 year old,there is discipline rather then grace. This is to show the 8 year old not that he or she is favored!!

But rather what is to be expected from them when they reach the age of 13. And to the 13 year old more is expected out of them! hence (1 cor 13:11!!) Many older people in the Lord wish to act like an 8 year old rather then the age they have already matured to in our Lord. This will not do with the Lord any longer! Discipline is required now,and we either learn from this discipline,or we do not move farther in our walk in the Lord.Some lessons are much harder and tougher then others.But the key is hopefully the same result! Drawing closer to our Lord through knowledge we need to obtain from our loving Father and His Word.( Hosea 4:6) There by helping those less mature to grow as well.( rom 15:1-7)

There is a law of the flesh,and a law of the Spirit World. Breaking either results in discipline. the difference between the two is, in the Spirit realm LOVE is also given,no so in the flesh. We learn because we love,in the world we learn because we have to,we are ordered to obey! The only order given to us by our Jesus, is to love one another just as he has loved us!( 1 john 4:20-21) By doing this!! We keep the entire law of God!!( Romans 13:8-10) Blessing all!

 

[philosopher]

You explained all that very well, Brighthouse.

 

[Brighthouse]

Thanks Brother! There is one lesson we all find out as soon as we look to follow our Jesus!! It is never easy to be us!! We find it is not only the road that becomes so narrow, but also the path on it.amen!

 

[Furious_Love]

Forgiving is part of our Journey with Jesus to wholeness and restoration Tina. Which ultimately brings freedom in our daily lives. The abuse may be a part of the past yet it may still be present in your outwardly living and thinking. Jesus takes our broken lives and begins to heal and restore right balance in our lives. Know that if you have accepted Jesus as Lord He will give you the strength to forgive those who have brought hurt and done you wrong. The memories may be vivid and you may still feel pain; yet know you are forgiven first which allows you to forgive. It may take time to separate the hurt to feeling good but let me guarantee you Tina your prayers never go unheard. If initially you do not mean your prayer of forgiveness and just say it because you think it right or heard someone say or do it like Joyce recommended. Know your heart is pointed toward God as you say it, eventually you begin to feel it and reading the Word you begin to see and understand God’s promises and it is then you can say ‘I forgive you’ with meaning because God heard your prayers and was listening all along.

God’s timing is impeccable Tina, His restoration began in you the moment you were drawn to Him as He calls His own. Prayer is indeed a requisite of being a Christian; pouring your heart out and seeking God to help you forgive helps in uncovering what may be a stumbling block to forgiveness. God is good Tina, He loves you and wants the best for you, sometimes as was said we want a quick fix to relieve the feelings we have and God has different plans. Be patient. Know in your heart He is with you every step of the way. Don’t lose hope, keep on going; fight the good fight. Blessings.

 

[Quasicentennium]

Abuse is part of Satan's spiritual war on our minds and bodies and Satan will intelligently use your mind to find an easy way out quickly without your wasting your time and effort with Jesus Christ spiritually protecting you from sin. Every time I watch the TV news there is someone dying in a tragic accident that looks like it's non-suicidal such as a young male teenager who was struck behind by a train as he was listening to his I-pod. I pray that the patience of Jesus is with you until your natural death from old age, where every Christian has faith in Jesus that there is a second chance, a positive future for every believer, as brothers and sisters of Christ with brand new glorious minds and bodies of Christ, inside God's futuristic community-built city: the Kingdom of God on a new Earth **Rev21:2** Praise Jesus for his future coming victory to defeat Satan and to delete sin from ever annoying us again. Our sinful memories with our future new minds of Christ will look like ancient museum exhibits that happened a long time ago because Christ's joy will keep our feelings so positively over-joyous -it's like riding on a rollercoaster as you feel that tickling laughter sensation as gravity makes your head and body as light as a feather.:*:.

 

[AbbysAunt]

Hi Tina,

forgiveness sometimes can take abit of time depending on how deep the hurt one has experienced and you have said you are praying for God to help you...He knows your heart and knows you want to forgive those who have wronged and hurt you. He wants you to keep on praying to Him and working with Him to forgive the people who have hurt you. In your case it's not " I won't forgive" its " I am working on forgiving" there is a difference my dear sister. There are some who just flat out because of all they have been dealt decide not to forgive at all and I believe this is what joyce meyer was talking about. You on the other hand want to forgive and are working on doing that and God is right there with you as work through everything and begin the process of forgiveness. He hears you and will mend your broken heart and help you through the hurt to be able to completely forgive. Don't be discouraged keep on praying and praising our Lord Jesus! It is through Him and by Him we do all things and He is the same God that in the bible delivered so many. He is the same God that delivered Joseph and brought him be prince of egypt after his own brothers sold him, the three in the fiery furance, daniel in the lions den, the israelites from egypt, noah and his family from the flood, David from the hands of goliath, the same God that did these things for them hears you and will not only deliver you from the past hurt but also enable you to forgive completely...keep going forward toward Him and know that you are winning this battle and are victorious in Him.

God bless you now and always Tina
AA

 

[faithfulservant]

I've had issues with unforgiveness in the past, too. The LORD showed me something wonderful. Whether or not you feel it in your heart in a perfect and sincere way right now, begin to speak the words of forgiveness to the people who hurt you in prayer. Keep going to God in prayer, declaring you forgive them and that you bless them and watch the LORD work that miracle in your heart. You're going to wake up one day and you will be free from the bondage of this root of bitterness.

I think I found why this works:

Proverbs 18
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.