Dear friend, we would like to talk to you about the power of forgiveness. You may ask, “Is it important to forgive?” The answer to your question is, “Of course!”
In the Bible, Jesus tells a story about a man who had a big debt to pay to a king. The man was brought to the king, but since he could not pay, it was ordered that he, his wife, and his children be sold into slavery. Was there anything the man could do about it? In his sorrow the man fell at the feet of the king and pleaded for mercy. And then a miracle happened. The king decided to forgive him his debt, and he released the man. Dear friend, can you imagine what unspeakable joy filled the heart of the man? He was eager to bring this good news back home to his wife and children. On his way home, the man who was forgiven a great debt met one of his friends. As soon as he saw him the man remembered that his friend owed him a small amount of money. He got very angry and began to demand that the debt be paid. The acquaintance fell on his face and begged the man for a little more time. But his weeping did not move the heart of the man. And furthermore the man in his fury put the debtor in prison. Dear friend, does this story anger you? In the same manner the people that witnessed the matter were angered and reported it to the king. When the king heard about it, his anger was kindled. Immediately the man was brought to the palace and the king said: “You wicked servant! I forgave you all your debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Matthew 18:32) You may ask how many times you should forgive. One? Two? Maybe five? Jesus said: “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:22) It means that we ought to forgive all the time! We need it so that we may not lose our relationship with the Lord. Jesus says: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25) Dear friend, there is great power in forgiveness. Now you can call on His name and have confidence that God hears you because He has forgiven you. And just like He forgives you when you do something wrong, so, you can now forgive other people when they wrong you. Dear friend, being able to forgive is a great gift from God. If you find it difficult to forgive someone, ask the Lord to help you forgive them. Pray with us this prayer: “Almighty God, thank you for forgiving my sins. Help me learn to forgive those who do wrong to me. I praise and glorify Your name. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”
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