Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:36 (NIV)
Speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:12-13 (ESV)
Heavenly Father, we’re so glad you’re “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort”—the God of limitless patience, inexhaustible forbearance, and incomparable compassion. Instead of giving us what we deserve, you’ve given us Jesus—who is our perfect righteousness, everlasting peace, and great joy. This isn’t a “game changer,” but an everything changer.
May your daily mercies be infused into our daily relationships. We’d love to live more fully by the law of liberty and kindness, instead of being easily irritated and quick to react. We don’t want to be so easily impacted by the ways people disappoint, inconvenience, and hurt us. Forgive us for rushing to judgment quicker than we run to Jesus.
Indeed, thank you for the forgiveness we have in Jesus, and grace to repent and change. Keep us more aware of how Jesus loves us perfectly than the ways we all love so imperfectly.
And for our more complex relationships, Father, we appeal to you for wisdom and strength. Show us what mercy looks like when we feel we’re being taken advantage of, manipulated, and “played.” We know you’re not calling us to live in denial or condone and submit to harm. So, give us wisdom from above and strength on the ground.
Teach us about healthy boundaries, severe mercy, and extraordinary grace. Free us for loving in the broken places of life, as Jesus loves us. Fill us with your Spirit, empower us by the gospel, and bring the right people into our lives that can help us navigate soul-depleting relationships. Father, thank you for your promise and provision of everything we need to honor you. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ kind and powerful name.