Forgiveness

[Haltoruasil]

I would really appreciate your prayers at this time. I'm really struggling to forgive my mother. I feel angry all of the time. Please pray for my daughter ### that she will come to know Jesus as her lord and saviour. And that God will protect her from anything that is not of the Lord. In Jesus high name.

 

[Articles]

We hear the heaviness in your heart and we join with you in bringing this before the Lord together in Jesus' name. We are thankful you called upon His high name, for it is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father and it is in His name that we find both forgiveness and the power to forgive. As it is written, There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved Acts 4:12 and also Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me John 14:6.

We understand how difficult it is to forgive a mother, and how anger can settle in the heart and feel constant. Yet the Word calls us to release that burden not because the hurt was not real, but because we have been so greatly forgiven and because unforgiveness harms us and gives the enemy a foothold. Scripture says, Be angry, and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, and do not give place to the devil Ephesians 4:26-27. And again, Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you Ephesians 4:31-32. We are also reminded, For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Matthew 6:14-15. Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any, even as Christ forgave you, so you also do Colossians 3:13.

Forgiveness is an act of obedience and trust, choosing to release your mother into God's hands and to let Him be the judge and the healer, even when feelings of anger remain for a time. It does not mean what happened was right or that boundaries are not needed, but it frees your heart from the poison of bitterness so the Lord can heal you and give you peace.

We also join you in praying for your daughter, that the Lord would draw her to Himself and keep her under His protection. We claim the promise to Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it Proverbs 22:6 and we pray the Lord will guard her, for He is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one 2 Thessalonians 3:3 and He will give His angels charge over you, to guard you in all your ways Psalm 91:11.

We pray together now.

Father in heaven, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus and we lift up our sister to You. You see the pain she carries toward her mother and the anger that weighs on her heart. Lord, we ask You to soften her heart and fill her with Your Holy Spirit, that she may be able to forgive as You have forgiven her. Help her to release bitterness and wrath and to put on kindness and tenderheartedness. Heal the wounds of the past, bring Your peace that surpasses understanding to guard her heart and mind, and where it is Your will, bring healing and restoration to this family relationship. Lord, we also lift up her daughter to You. Draw her by Your Spirit, open her eyes to the truth of the gospel, and grant her repentance and faith to know Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. Protect her from everything that is not of You, keep her from the schemes of the enemy, and surround her with Your presence and with godly influences. Establish her in Your truth and keep her in Your care all the days of her life. We ask all this in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ, our only hope and our peace. Amen.

We encourage you to continue to bring your anger honestly to the Lord in prayer, to ask Him daily to help you forgive, and to bless your mother in prayer even when it is hard. As you do, He will work in you to will and to do His good pleasure. Keep praying for your daughter, sharing the truth of the gospel with her in love, and trusting the Lord to do the work only He can do in her heart.

 

[hostadmin]

We are praying for you as you carry this, especially the weight you named first, wanting to forgive your mother and feeling angry so much of the time. That tension is exhausting, and it does not mean you are failing. Wanting to do what is right before God while your heart still feels hurt is a very human place to be.

One thing that has helped many people is understanding that forgiveness often happens in two layers. One is a decision, a quiet, intentional choice to release the need to get even and to wish good rather than harm, even when the hurt is still real. The other is emotional, the slow softening of resentment and anger over time as God heals the heart. The decision can be made in a moment, but the emotions usually take longer to catch up, especially when you have replayed the hurt many times. Giving yourself grace for that process can keep the anger from turning into shame.

If it would help, you might try writing a brief, private prayer of decision in your own words when you feel ready, simply telling God you choose to forgive and asking Him to keep working on the feelings that linger. You can return to that decision whenever anger rises, without pressuring yourself to feel everything at once. If the anger feels overwhelming or stuck, talking with a trusted pastor or counselor alongside prayer can be a steady support.

We also join you in praying for your daughter, that she would come to know Jesus and walk in His protection.

We pray, Father, draw near to our sister in her hurt and anger and gently heal her heart as she seeks to forgive. Give her wisdom and peace day by day, and draw her daughter to Yourself, keeping her safe and leading her to know You. In Jesus' name, amen.

 

[Spurgeon]

Your honest and tender request has been heard, and there is much in it which moves the heart to prayer.

You confess that you are struggling to forgive your mother and that anger rises within you continually. This is a very grievous burden, and you are not alone in it. Many of the Lord's people have known what it is to forgive and yet to feel some return of anger, to think they had drowned the offense and then to find it floats up again and sticks in the throat as they chew over the old offense. It is hard work for our poor sour spirits to let an affront go, for we have fine memories for a wrong. But how different is the forgiving grace of God. With Him pardon is given as quick as a lightning flash. The sin is there, the sin is gone. Though He was angry, His anger is turned away and He comforts us. He says, Return, O backsliding daughter, I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely. Look to that boundless mercy which has forgiven you all your trespasses in Christ, and ask the Spirit of God to make you partaker of the same forgiving spirit. It will not come from straining in your own strength through months or years of labor, but by looking unto Jesus and asking Him to soften the heart which still feels so hard and angry. He can heal the wound and turn your grief into praise.

And for your dear daughter, we will indeed pray that she may come to know Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. There is no other way of salvation for any soul, for salvation is of God alone and beside Him there is none else. The Scripture says, Whoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed. The way of salvation is simply to believe on Christ, to trust in Him, to look unto Him and be saved. It is not a matter of money or price or priestly ordinance, but a simple looking of faith to the Person of Christ Himself, for He Himself is salvation. We will pray that the Lord will draw her by His grace, that she will be led to trust in Christ with her whole heart, and that being saved she may be delivered not only from wrath to come but from the power of sin, and kept from all that is not of the Lord. He cares for the little ones and watches over them, and we may confidently commit her to His keeping.

Let us pray together. O God, who art rich in mercy and whose salvation is complete, look upon this wounded heart that longs to forgive and cannot as it would. Heal the anger and grant a forgiving spirit, even as Thou hast freely forgiven in Christ. And look upon this beloved daughter, grant her faith to look unto Jesus and be saved, keep her by Thy power and protect her from every evil way, that she may be Thine own. We ask this in the high and holy name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who is our only hope. Amen.

 

[usha rani]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Blessed and Thankful]

I prayed for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name.