Unforgiveness Inwardly Destroys the one who Harbours it – Part 1
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him…But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Mark 11:25-26 (NKJV)
Beloved, God will not hear our prayers when we have unforgiveness in our hearts. People mistakenly believe their bitterness and refusal to forgive will make others suffer. On the contrary, the unforgiving person suffers because their act is not only in contravention with the Word of God but cultivates the diabolical works of the flesh, such as hatred, discord, dissension, contentions, and fits of rage in their lives (Galatians 5:19-21 – NIV). Unforgiveness can also transcend from generation to generation.
Dr. Cindy Trim, the author of ‘The Rules of Engagement for Overcoming your Past’, wrote that Nelson Mandela was challenged to forgive those who imprisoned him for over twenty years for his anti-apartheid activism. The author recorded that at Mandela’s Presidential inauguration, he invited the warden of the prison where he’d spent so many years and sat him front and center. Mandela essentially forgave his former oppressors while the whole world (black and white) watched. This act quietly dispelled fears of possible reprisals by blacks against whites for the oppressive apartheid system. It signaled this was no time for vengeance but for national healing.
The author further declared, “When memories of those who have hurt, abused, betrayed, or violated you flood your thoughts, and when you cannot seem to forget their evil actions towards you, begin to pray blessings over them”. She posited that to curse someone means that the curse will have to flow through you first; likewise, to bless someone means that the blessings have to flow through you first. Vengeance belongs to God, she warned (Romans 12:19-21 – NIV).
Friends, when you are able to bless instead of curse those who have wounded you, you are well on your way to healing the hole in your soul and living a life characterised by wholeness. Forgiveness neutralises the acid of hatred that destroys the person in which it is stored. God can deliver you from the spirit of unforgiveness if you give him your heart today. Try Him.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I lift persons who are traumatised by various evil experiences committed upon them by those who used their gullibility to take advantage of them, robbing them of their innocence, dignity, finances, reputation, and so much more. I pray in the name of Jesus that as they submit themselves holistically to You, You will heal them from every hurt, pain, anguish, and broken heart, thereby destroying the spirit of unforgiveness that has ravished their souls, Amen!
Read: Matthew 18:1-3; Mark 11:25-26
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 41:7-13; Luke 10:25-42; Luke 11:1-4; Deuteronomy 2:24-37; Deuteronomy 3; Deuteronomy 4:1-14
