Jesus said, "This is how you should pray, "Our Father in heaven: may your holy name be honoured; may your kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need. Forgive us the wrongs we have done as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us. - Matthew 6 v 9 - 13
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?"
"No, not seven times," answered Jesus, but seventy times seven." - Matthew 18 v 21
I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you. - Isaiah 43 v 25
Forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ. - Ephesians 4 v 32
I will forgive their sins and I will no longer remember their wrongs. I, the Lord, have spoken. - Jeremiah 31 v 34
Lord, this is so so difficult! How hard it is to forgive! When I've been wronged, I instinctively want to get my own back. When someone has hurt me, I want to hurt him. When someone steals from me, I want justice. Yet you tell me to forgive! I do admit that when I think about the wrong things I have done I do expect you to forgive me. However that does not seem to stop me being unwilling to forgive those who do me harm! Please help me. Please make me understand just how wonderful your forgiveness is so that I may start to learn to forgive others in the same way as you have forgiven me. When I think about Jesus dying on the cross so that I might be forgiven, I do realise that your forgiveness came at a price - a price which Jesus willingly paid because he loved me. When I forgive, I know it will cost me. I'll have to forego my right to Justice. I may well have to forgive people who are not the least bit sorry for the harm they have done me
Please help me.
Dear Lord, when you forgive, you forget. Please help me not to bear grudges or be bitter. Please help me to accept your forgiveness and also to forgive myself. At heart, I know all this will be for my own good. Bitterness makes such sad and lonely people! Please help me to forgive and to forget.