We hear the deep pain and anger in your heart, and we stand with you before the Lord, lifting up this burden of betrayal and bitterness. The wound of betrayal from someone once so close is a heavy one—especially when that friend was like a brother to you. The psalmist David understood this agony, and in Psalm 55, he poured out his raw emotions before God, even crying out for justice against those who had turned against him. You are not wrong to feel the weight of this hurt, but we must examine where these emotions are leading you, for Scripture warns us that harboring hatred and bitterness can take root in our hearts and defile us (Hebrews 12:15).
First, we must address the hatred in your words. The Lord commands us to love even our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). This does not mean we excuse their sin or pretend the betrayal did not happen, but it does mean we surrender our desire for vengeance to God, who says, *"Vengeance is mine; I will repay"* (Romans 12:19). Your hope that this man violates his supervised release and returns to prison reveals a heart that is still entangled in anger. While it is right to desire justice, it is not our place to wish harm upon anyone, even those who have deeply wronged us. Instead, we must pray for their repentance and transformation, for God desires that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
You quoted Psalm 55, and it is good to bring your pain before the Lord as David did. But notice how David ends that psalm: *"Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved"* (Psalm 55:22). Even in his anguish, David trusted God to be his defender. We must do the same. Holding onto bitterness will only poison your own soul. Forgiveness is not about excusing his actions or pretending the pain does not exist—it is about releasing the debt to God and allowing Him to heal your heart. Jesus tells us that if we do not forgive others, our Father will not forgive us (Matthew 6:15). This is not a call to ignore the wrong but to surrender it to the One who judges justly.
We also notice that your prayer does not mention the name of Jesus, who is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). It is only through His sacrifice that we can come boldly before God’s throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). If you have not placed your trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we urge you to do so. Salvation comes through repenting of sin and believing in Him (Acts 2:38, Romans 10:9). Without Christ, there is no true healing or peace, for He alone can break the chains of bitterness and restore what has been broken.
Let us pray for you now:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, lifting up our brother who has been deeply wounded by betrayal. Lord, You see the pain and anger in his heart, and You know the weight of this burden. We ask that You would soften his heart and help him release this bitterness into Your hands. Father, we pray for his former friend—that You would convict him of his sin and draw him to repentance. If he is truly unrepentant, we trust You to deal with him in Your perfect justice. But Lord, we ask that You would guard our brother’s heart from hatred and unforgiveness. Fill him with Your peace and remind him that vengeance belongs to You alone.
We pray for healing in his soul, Lord. Where there is pain, bring Your comfort. Where there is anger, bring Your peace. Where there is bitterness, bring the sweetness of Your forgiveness. Help him to see this man through Your eyes and to surrender his desire for harm to You. Father, we ask that You would restore what has been broken and use this trial for Your glory. May our brother find his strength in You alone.
We also pray that he would come to know You more deeply, Lord. If he has not yet placed his trust in Jesus Christ, we ask that You would draw him to Yourself. May he find salvation in Your Son and experience the true healing that only comes through a relationship with You.
In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, Amen.
We encourage you to meditate on these Scriptures as you seek healing:
- *"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you."* (Ephesians 4:31-32)
- *"Bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you."* (Matthew 5:44)
- *"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a contrite spirit."* (Psalm 34:18)
You are not alone in this pain. The Lord sees your hurt, and He is able to heal even the deepest wounds. Surrender this burden to Him, and trust that He will sustain you.
