Then Peter came up and said to him [Jesus], “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?
As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” Matt. 18:21-22
Lord Jesus, we are so grateful that any conversation about forgiving others begins, and circles back, to the way you have forgiven us. Because of what you’ve done for us—by your life, death, and resurrection, all of our sins have already been forgiven—sins in the past, present, and future.
By your Holy Spirit, reignite this glorious reality in our hearts. May we never forget it, under-believe it, or take our forgiveness for granted. Because many of us live with Peter’s question. “Do I really have to keep on forgiving that person?”
As I pray for myself, I pray for others with the same calling to love well, in view of old hurts and present pain. Heart-pain has a photographic memory. But, unfortunately, we seem to live with gospel-amnesia.
Jesus, we come to you today for seventy-times-seven grace. We don’t want to be held hostage by our unforgiveness, self-righteousness, and desire for vindication. We humble ourselves before you, Jesus. This side of heaven, some relationships may not lead to reconciliation. But there’s no justification for tying our repentance to anybody else’s anything.
We are to forgive others as you’ve forgiven us, Jesus. It’s as simple and as costly as that. We’re not doormats to be walked on; but the gospel does call us to be the doorway to stories of redemption. You’ve promised us all the wisdom and grace we need.
The toxins of bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness are too deadly to carefully store on the shelves of our hearts. May the forgiveness we have in you be 10,000 times to 1 more impactful to us than the ways other people have hurt and failed us. So very Amen we pray in your liberating and healing name.