Father, Forgive Them!
See also Part 2
Father, Forgive Them!
As I was sitting with The LORD Jesus this morning, I always say, “Show me my heart!”
He did not answer right away, but when He did, He said, “Never forget, FORGIVENESS is the Key that open doors or shuts them in your life and relationships.
That is why…. on The Cross, My last words were, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!”
You have written much on FORGIVENESS — but stop and think about how many people you have prayed with, who did not understand it is first an act of the will to be willing to forgive, as I forgive.
It has nothing to do with feelings.
As you have taught many times, take the first step… be willing to obey My Words,” said The LORD.
“Then as you release the hurt and the person to Me and begin to walk it out, you will receive an outpouring of Calvary Love until suddenly you are healed and you see them through My Eyes!
Then, as they are released to Me, I can deal with the attitude of their heart and/ or what caused the issue in the beginning.”
Beloved, I cannot even count the large numbers of people whom I have prayed form who have received emotional, physical, and spiritual healing — almost instantly — the moment unforgiveness was dealt with, and as an act of their will, they were willing to take the first step to Forgive.
Many times, some of the people had experienced a tightness in their joints or pain in the area of their shoulders (where we are easily weighed down).
But when they forgave the person whom they were upset or very angry with, the symptoms left their body!
I had an older lady come to me that had multiple people she just would not forgive — because she kept waiting to “want to” forgive them.
But when I explained, “let’s just lay it all down at Jesus’ feet, at the foot of The Cross, as an act of letting go and trusting Him — willingness, is the first step” — then when we prayed, she broke out in hard crying and shaking and immediately after began to laugh uncontrollably!
Joy came into her heart as she released her deep hurt and anger. The love of The LORD filled her until joy took over the grief and unforgiveness!
So, the greatest block to receiving healing at the very deepest level is UNFORGIVENESS.
Many who have wallowed in unforgiveness have created deep issues in their physical and emotional being, and the consequences sometimes lead to serious issues.
That is especially true in the emotions.
If they are hurt and react in anger, if not dealt with, it can turn into attitudes of deep bitterness that grows every time they think about the incident.
The resentment soon opens the door to the enemy, as it provides fertile ground to grow and spread, if not dealt with.
The LORD is calling out to the hurting, the wounded and the lost, all who are wallowing in anger and unforgiveness.
This is a new day! The LORD is crying out to you if this is where you are.
Beloved, it is time to let go of yesterday and any and all self-pity and anger and receive healing for your hurting heart.
Won’t you pray with me now:
Father, please forgive me and heal my heart.
I forgive those who have angered me and hurt me as an act of my will.
I choose to obey your word and I ask you to cleanse me with The Blood of Jesus and release me to love again.
Heal me of all unforgiveness, as I move forward and do not look back — but trust with my whole heart that I was forgiven at The Cross, and I forgive as I have been forgiven, in Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
Crosses ©lwml.org
See also Part 2
~ Sandi Holman
Sandi Holman of Matters of the Heart website was called to The Nations as an End-Time Handmaiden in 1984 and served on staff with YWAM Singapore and YWAM Charlotte in missions. She later experienced a Divine Encounter with The LORD when He came into her Prayer Room and said, “I have come to put a sword in your hand and was given special instructions on how and when to use it.” Sandi is now an Author, Prophetic Intercessor, Seer, Chaplain, Teacher, Speaker, Counselor, Blogger who has also served as an Online Pastor and an Interim Pastor for a Mennonite Church.
Correcting a word in my response that should say “dissipate”
No problem, Jennifer. It is all good. Blessings, Sandi
Forgiveness is actually impossible without the help of the Lord! It’s the conviction of the Holy Spirit that lays heavy on our hearts until we willingly lay down our burdens of pain, hurt, loss, sorrow, misunderstandings, betrayals, and choose to lift those who have wounded us, up to the Father, saying that we forgive. He helps us!!!
Beautiful message Sandi!!!
Always so good to hear from you, dear Mary. Thank you so much for your input. So true, when that conviction comes, oh what a savior! If we harden our heart at that moment, we are the ones who lose not the one who hurt us. In His Love, Sandi
So true Sandy. Your Word came a day after I’ve had a conversation with a friend about forgiveness and the consequences when we walk in unforgiveness, a door is opened to the enemy to attack us physically.
So true of what Pamie said “the devil will gnaw at us. I have felt that myself, and the Lord gave me instruction on what to say when the thought came around, and it has certainly dissipated. I now sometimes minister to this individual as the Lord opens the door.
Thank you Sandi, blessings and love to you.
Thanks so much for your blessing and love Jennifer. I loved what you shared about the day before my post. Isn’t GOD amazing with His timing…just in time HE confirms what He is working in our hearts and revealing to us. Thanks for sharing, my friend. In His Love, Sandi
So so crucial! Being trained in my own home, prodigal who is deeply in need of the Father in heaven. Many times I take communion and choose again and again to ask forgiveness but to forgive out of what we know we must do in order to keep our heart pure. By His stripes bruises wounds we are already healed️
Eva, Thanks for sharing. It is so the most important thing to keep our hearts. God continues to rain His wisdom down on us as we learn to first choose to forgive, even when are ‘feelings’ are not ‘there’ yet. When we choose to be willig to forgive as Jesus forgave us, we are opening the door to healing and closing the door to unforgiveness. In His love, Sandi
This is so good and so true. I pray for my neighbor that thinks I turned him in for his music last summer which I didn’t and and he will play his music almost everyday loud but I just pray for him and I say your are my brother and I claim you for the kingdom of heaven, because I know its not him its the spirit behind him. So I have to walk in forgiveness, if not the enemy will gnaw at you and when he starts up his music I say I love you Steve (not his real name) and I know God has this and him. I look at it this way if God just moved me to this town to pray for him because maybe nobody else is, it was worth it, at least a seed has been planted, if he only knew the prayers going up for him. Hugs Pamie
Pamie, As we have shared before, it is so important to accept those things we cannot change and change those things we can..we must have that wisdom to know the diffence. I was reminded again as you spoke of your neighbor who believed a lie. Prayer for that person is always the answer and as we obey that, the first heart that experiences change and healing is ours, my sister and friend. In His love, Sandi
I have posted this before, but shortly after getting saved, I experienced rejection and bad treatment from people who had been my friends for years. I had learned I needed to forgive, so read everything, every book on forgiveness I could find. I still could not do it; fantasies of their downfall danced in my head. When I learned that forgiveness is an act of will, I discovered I could make the transaction, but my feelings were still engaged. So for eight months, I prayed, “Lord I will to forgive (this situation), please make it real in my heart.” Day after day I prayed for this. One day, I went into a vision showing the devil holding up my friends by puppet strings, forcing them to do his bidding to harass me. My heart caught up to my will at that point. Yes, I did the necessary confrontations, etc. but I needed the Lord’s perspective. I have always been grateful for that vision. It has helped me through other situations as well. It really illustrated our battle is not with fleshly enemies, but spiritual adversaries. Praise God for His help and mercy!
RSG, It is so good when we first get the Lord’s perspective..I so agree. I lovedf “Lord, I wil to forgive (this situation), please make it rea in my heart”. I am keeping that one!!I love “my heart caught up to my will at that point”..I say, EXACTLY! So well said. THank you so much for sharing how the Lord gave you His perspective. His mercy and grace are new every morning. In His Love, Sandi
Yes, I have found this to be absolutely true, and key, in my own life. Thank you,
Thank you, Amy for your agreement and for sharing. Forgiveness as a positive step forward as we move past our feelings truly changes us first! In His Love, Sandi
John 14:28 at the end of this verse is an interesting statement. I go unto the Father for my Father is greater than I
Now Father forgive them they know not what they do. At the time of his death on the cross.
The ironic thing almost no one really sees what lies behind these statements. Or really believe them to be true.
If those in the church really believed these statements to be true and asked the one true God and Father of Jesus some insight into them this world and the church would be something quite different. Eternal life is to know the one true God. Jesus whole ministry was based on this. He said I can do nothing of my self It is the father In me who is doing the work. The true fear of God comes from knowing him and who he is. The reason there is no fear of God in the church and this country is almost no one knows what that means. Jesus sure did. So much so at this very moment he said a prayer for all involved because he feared his father and had more then an idea about how he looked on the son. Just because they were one did not make Jesus his Father. Some things to think about in these times.
It has taken me a while to wade through some challenging hits from the enemy as soon as I released this word. Not only that, dear David, I have read your comment and pondered it along with several other viewpoints and responses before being still to hear what the Lord was doing in my heart and showing me from His heart. I believe Jesus had a battle with how costly love is..we do forgive them as the one who is in us forgives..first be willing, then be deliberate and eventually our heart begins to see them and ourselves through the eyes of the Father. I have an issue in my life that seems determined to destroy my call to carry the heart of the Lord that it seems I am constantly reminded of how amazing LOVE is and how deeply the Father loves. Yes, I agree the fear of the Lord is very important. In my opinion, the first step or requirement because the lays the groundwork for all that enters and/or leaves our heart..it is the beginning of wisdom and that must always override our feelings, opinions, etc. Almost everything in our relationshop is a choice. He gave true freedom of choice for a reason. We must live life out of our heart of His love that He deposited in us..lay down our life of self, die to it and live out of the heart of the one that SAVED US! In His love, Sandi
Amen.
And agreement is what we have, dear Sis, in your AMEN. I say so be it, my friend! In His Love, Sandi
Wonderful article that I am sharing, Sandi. Absolutely needed in the body of Christ. I definetely prayed it, and have taught this out much also. Still it always comes home to me first to dig deep to do likewise. Thank you. Love, prayers & hugs. ❤️
Thanks so much for sharing, Joyce. I am in agreement..it is truly needed in the body of Christ today. It truly must come home to us first as you stated. No matter what anyone did to us, the issue is our response! May we always respond God’s way. In His love, my sister, Hugs and prayers for your continued healing from the Lord, Sandi
It has nothing to do with feelings.
As you have taught many times, take the first step… be willing to obey My Words,” said The LORD.
“Then as you release the hurt and the person to Me and begin to walk it out, you will receive an outpouring of Calvary Love until suddenly you are healed and you see them through My Eyes!
Then, as they are released to Me, I can deal with the attitude of their heart and/ or what caused the issue in the beginning.”
„Beloved, I cannot even count the large numbers of people whom I have prayed form who have received emotional, physical, and spiritual healing — almost instantly — the moment unforgiveness was dealt with, and as an act of their will, they were willing to take the first step to Forgive.
Many times, some of the people had experienced a tightness in their joints or pain in the area of their shoulders (where we are easily weighed down).
But when they forgave the person whom they were upset or very angry with, the symptoms left their body!“
Hi, Sandi,
I wished I could say that I have seen the same results after forgiving and speaking blessings over a person! The hurt still remains with me in my thoughts and emotions and just doesn‘t disappear! …I so often asked the Lord for an answer, but did not receive one. I do forgive willingly, but how about God‘s word to „forgive by heart“?
My dear Dorothea, I have been praying and seeking the Lord for days as I am now writing a part 2 or follow up to this…I actually have gotten some emails from people who read it here on HKP. I say this to you from the bottom of my heart, my friend. I try never to say I understand because the Lord has corrected me every time I use that phrase..I do not understand anyone’s heart but I can relate by the grace of God. Now, I tell you truly I have wrestled with the spirit of regret over a few things in my life and that took over after I forgave (did everything I wrote about) but one reason I could not get it out of my thoughts and emotions was I did not forgive myself. Regret is a spirit that keeps us looking back at yesterday and our mind and emotions has kept us captive in such a way, we don’t understand how important TODAY is. We must take care of the issues the enemy keeps haunting us with so that we give it all to the Lord..Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Also, one other thing, we must take care not to allow bitterness to take root in our emotions. Anger usually outlives forgiveness. When we are in the process, begin with the will as I said, but like you stated, your hurt has not disappeared. Then healing of the emotions is what is necessary as you give it to the Lord and walk it out until you no longer hurt but when you hear their name..you can say, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Wish I had more time and space, Dorotheia but as an act of your will, say Lord, I tear down the wall around my heart that has formed by my desire to protect and keep away hurt..please heal my hurt and fill my heart with the love of God that never fails. When I got certified as a counselor, I studied a lot of books about healing of the emotions by John and Paula Sanford and Walls of my Heart by Dr Bruce Thompson (YWAM) In His love, Sandi