Why Pray for Those Who Hurt Us?

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Picture yourself having this conversation:

You: You tell me to forgive that person, Lord, and even pray for him, even though he hurt me. Why should I forgive him? Why shouldn’t I get even?

God: I hear you. You’ve been hurt. You’re hanging onto the hurt too long. Let it go. Let Me handle it. At judgment time, he will have to face Me.

You: Yeah, but You’re not going to condemn him, are You? You’re not going to make him suffer for what he did to me. He’s going to get off the hook, isn’t he? If he asks You to forgive him, You will, won’t You?

God: If he asks Me to forgive him, yes, I’ll forgive him…. Just like I have for you.

Christ tells us to have mercy – to forgive and pray for those who’ve hurt us. Why? Because doing so makes us more like Him. It softens our hearts to them and helps rid us of the bitterness we hold against them. Praying for them helps us see them from His perspective; we may see how their own hurt caused them to hurt us. Also, our prayers may lead them to change their ways. 

God’s mercy isn’t new to us, but Jesus’ message that God is merciful was a radical idea at that time. That’s because, in ancient times, the people thought that God wanted sacrifices, and the greater the sacrifice, the more pleased God would be. That’s why they offered Him their first fruits, sacrificed their best animals, and even sacrificed their children. But God used Abraham to try to teach the people that that wasn’t what He wanted. First, God wanted to see how far Abraham was willing to go to show his reverence for Him (see Genesis 22:1-19). Abraham proved that he would sacrifice even his son Isaac if that would please God. But God stopped Abraham from hurting Isaac – He didn’t want that sacrifice! This was the beginning of God’s trying to get through to us that He is a God of love and mercy. 

Jesus came to earth to drive home that point: He taught that loving in radical ways, such as forgiving those who’ve hurt us, was what God wanted. He commands us to be merciful, as He is. Our goal is to become more centered on Him and less on ourselves. Any sacrifices we make today, such as fasting during Lent or serving on church committees, are pleasing to God only if they strengthen our relationship with Him and make our hearts more like His. So, no matter what sacrifices we make, God doesn’t want them if we still insist on getting even with those who hurt us, cast judgment upon those who are different from us, or hold grudges. 

With His help, we can be merciful, as He is.

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” – Matthew 12:7  

“Lord, help me pray for those who’ve hurt me. Soften my heart. Make it more like Yours.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

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P.S.

Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Forgiveness Is Not a Feeling

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Corrie ten Boom did the unimaginable after surviving a Nazi concentration camp. In her uplifting and powerful autobiography The Hiding Place, Corrie tells of the moment, years after her release, when she came face to face with the Nazi guard who had brutalized her and countless others. She had just finished speaking on the need for forgiveness -- one of many talks she gave across the world -- when the former guard approached her, asked if she would forgive him, and offered her his outstretched hand. Standing there facing him, she did not feel forgiving, yet she knew she had to live what she had just preached. The only thing she felt she could do was lift her hand. So, slowly and mechanically, she brought her hand up toward his. When he grasped it, she felt what she described as a kind of electric current run down her arm and through their clasped hands. She then experienced an unlikely sense of deep, freeing peace flowing through her and toward this man. 

Notice that it was only after Corrie’s hand grasped his did the feeling come to her. That’s because forgiveness is an act of the will, not a feeling. Forgiving is deciding to not hold onto the wrongdoing any longer. (Reconciliation requires both parties. Forgiveness involves only one.)

Who do you need to forgive? A parent? Your spouse? A teacher? A friend? Yourself? We might not feel forgiving, but we can decide to forgive them. We might not feel anything dramatic like Corrie did afterwards but, still, we can set ourselves free from the transgression. We can let it go. We can say out loud, “Lord, I forgive _____ for _____. “ 

Christ lives in us; we possess His power to forgive. Imagine yourself preparing to confront someone who has hurt you. Listen to Christ speak to you these encouraging words:

Speak to him with love. My love. It will come from Me, not you. You have too much pain in your heart right now. Let me fill you with My love. It’s My love you will offer to him. You may not feel you can do that, and that’s why it won’t be your love, but Mine, that you offer. How do you do that? Keep Me by your side and forefront in your mind in everything you say and do. Let My love soak into all your words.

We forgive others in order to free ourselves from the desire to retaliate. This doesn’t mean we put ourselves in dangerous or vulnerable situations; we have to protect ourselves. Also, forgiving may not lead to reconciliation. Yet when we’ve forgiven from the heart, the person who hurt us no longer controls our emotions. 

“ (Pray), ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.’... If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

--Matthew 6:12, 14-15

“Lord, help me to forgive.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.