Day 7: What Happens When I Pray? - How to Pray for Your Marriage
Day 7: What Happens When I Pray?
“and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors… For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:12, 14-15
Forgiveness is an extraordinary experience. When we forgive someone who has wronged us, we are choosing to change our feelings and attitude about that person. Being forgiven is also an extraordinary gift. When a person chooses to forgive us, there is a relief in the tension set by the offense.
There is no greater act of forgiveness than God extending forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ. The forgiveness of the Lord humbles us and transforms us. It is life-giving.
We must never forget that we are all sinners and fall short in many ways. Our need for forgiveness is great. What a wonderful working power Christ has offered to us in giving us grace and mercy. In this passage of Scripture above, Jesus teaches us to remember the importance of forgiveness.
When we acknowledge God’s forgiveness of our sins and pray for a heart that forgives others, we are aligning our heart with the heart of God. The power of praying this kind of prayer softens our hearts and helps us be ready when we encounter opportunities to forgive.
This is important in light of marriage, where there are many opportunities to practice forgiveness, as well as experience being forgiven.
When we ask God to help us forgive our spouse, He hears us and helps us navigate those challenging moments of offense that arise in marriage. The Holy Spirit leads us to choose forgiveness instead of resentment, grace instead of bitterness, and mercy instead of vengeance. Forgiveness transforms marriage and helps us to maintain unity, oneness, and intimacy.
