Daily Bible Study – Immanuel experience…

LEARN and PRACTICE the WORD of GOD

Colossians‬ ‭3:13‬ “…Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”‭‭‭

A thought: Immanuel experience

‘Forgiveness’ is a divine way to have an ‘Immanuel experience’ – How to forgive?

1. Acknowledge the pain.
2. Continuous thought about pain will harm mentally, spiritually and emotionally.
3. Put yourself in the shoes of your offender. Mark 7:12″So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you … ”
4. Remember that God will not forgive you if you don’t forgive others – Mathew 6:15
5. Remember that God commands us to forgive. When Jesus taught about prayer, he stressed the importance of forgiving others in Luke 11:14 And in Mark 11:25 he says, “If you hold anything against anyone, forgive him … ”
6. Let go of the pain. Once you’ve gone through the stages above, refuse to hold onto your hurt. Don’t replay the offense over and over. Allowing yourself to get sad or angry again and again will only cause you more pain. Determine that you are going to choose to forgive your offender. Your emotions might not agree with this decision. This is where prayer comes in or a ‘Christ practicing’ counselor helps. Tell God you want to forgive, and ask him to change your heart toward the person who wronged you. You may want to consider voicing forgiveness to your offender either vocally or through a letter. But again, if this isn’t possible, it doesn’t mean you haven’t expressed forgiveness.
7. Continue to forgive. If the wound was deep, you’ll probably have to forgive more than once. When memories of the wrong come to mind and you find yourself getting worked up over it, immediately go to God in prayer.
8. Pray for the one who hurt you. It may be impossible to restore a relationship with your offender. For example, you don’t know where the person lives or contacting this person could be a safety risk. But you can pray for the one who hurt you. Ask God to reveal his love to your offender. Doing so will help you to release any remaining resentment.
9. Finally, bless the one one who hurt you.

Prayer: Dear Merciful Lord, Thank you for Your gift of forgiveness. Your only Son loved us and came to earth and experienced the worst pain and still He demonstrated forgiveness. Your mercy flows to us in spite of our faults and failures. Your Word says to “clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” (Col. 3:14) Help us to demonstrate Your divine forgiveness to others, even to one who personally hurt me. We pray by the name of Jesus. Amen.