Forgiveness and emotional release
Any Greek or Hebrew translations are quoted from
New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D.
Thomas Nelson Publishers 1990 edition
We all need to forgive:
· I John 2:9: He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
· I John 4:20; If a man say I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
· Luke 17:4: And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
· Luke 6:27-28: But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
· Matthew 5:44: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.
· Matthew 18:33-35: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.
· Matthew 18:15: Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
· Luke 11:4: And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
· Ephesians 4:32: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Could you forgive someone even if you knew ahead of time what they were going to do to you? Jesus Christ did (and He is still doing this). I know that as human beings it is hard for us to forgive those who have wronged us; however, as Christians we can forgive if we ask Jesus Christ to help us.
In John Chapter 13 Jesus washed Judas’ feet even though He knew that Judas would soon betray him. We know from scripture that Judas was present when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. John 13:10-11: Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, ye are not all clean. This foot washing was the last intimate moment between Jesus and Judas. Judas looked into Jesus’ eyes knowing that he would soon betray Jesus – and so did Jesus. Perhaps this was Jesus’ last appeal to Judas; because Jesus did not want to be forever separated from Judas (because He loved him). Jesus knew that He would be betrayed and go to the cross but it did not have to be Judas who betrayed Him. That was Judas’ choice. Matthew 18:7: Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Matthew 26:24: The Son of man goeth as it is written of him, but woe unto that man by whom the San of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born. Jesus loved and wanted to forgive Judas (even before Judas committed the actual physical act, even while it was only a thought in Judas’ mind) but Judas committed the offence anyway. Jesus Christ had to die on the cross for our sins, but it did not have to be Judas who betrayed him – again, that was Judas’ choice. Luke 17:1: Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! Jesus knew ahead of time what Judas would decide, yet He still gave Judas the chance to change his mind. Jesus Christ made every effort – as He always does. Though Jesus knew the outcome He still tried. On the day of judgment Judas can never say that God did not give him the chance to change his mind.
After Judas committed the act of betrayal against Jesus he lost all hope and hung himself. Judas had allowed Satan to entice him into betraying Jesus even though Judas’ grief (just prior to his hanging himself) showed us that he cared about Jesus. Satan can, and will, try to entice anyone who gives him a foothold in their life. Many reading this may feel they cannot forgive a person(s) who has offended or deeply hurt them. Maybe you think you have gone too far and like Judas you feel that there is no hope for you. But, while there is still breath in your body there is hope! Sometimes it is hard for a person to understand this. Many people do not realize that there is always hope for them through Jesus Christ. When any person (including a Christian) is in bondage to Satan it is hard for them to see this. We can always cry out to Jesus no matter what we have done and He will always be there for us. Hebrews 13:5: “I will never leave, nor forsake thee”. People, many of whom are Christians, too often give up. They become confused and oppressed. If they do not stop listening to Satan’s lies and cry out to Jesus they will be in danger of falling – and this can lead to evil possession.
Scripture shows us that Satan entered Judas before Judas committed the physical act of betrayal. Luke 22:3: Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. John 13:26-27: Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. In both Luke 22:3 and John 13:27 scripture tells us that Satan entered Judas before the actual act of betrayal, while it was only a thought in Judas’ mind. Some people believe that it was not actually Satan who entered Judas but that is not what scripture says. Scripture says it was Satan. The Greek word for ‘Satan’ in Luke 22:3 and John 13:27 is “Satanas, sat-an-as; …accuser, i.e. the devil – Satan”. The Greek word for ‘entered’ in Luke 22:3 and John 13:27 is “eiserchomai, ice-er’-khom-ahee; …to enter (lit. or fig.)… arise, come (in, into), enter in (-to), go in through”. Luke 22:3 and John 13:27 refer to Satan himself. Extra note: Scripture calls Satan’s helpers devils. The Greek meaning for devils in New Testament scripture is “Daimonizomai, da-hee-mon-id’-zom-ahee; …mid. voice… to be exercised by a demon;- have a (be vexed with, be possessed with) devil(-s)”. “Daimonion, dahee-mon’-ee-on; …demonic being; by extens. a deity:- devil, god”. The small g is referring to a false god. “Daimoniodes, da-hee-mon-ee-o’-dace; …demon-like:- devilish”. “Daimon, dah’-ee-mown; from daio (to distribute small fortunes); a demon or supernatural spirit (of a bad nature):- devil”. Notice the Greek says “to distribute small fortunes” – proof that Satan and his evil spirits (devils/demons) can cause a person to prosper and create in their heart the love of money! Which may explain why Judas betrayed the Lord – probably for the love of money. I Timothy 6:10: For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Judas was a follower of Jesus Christ and he cared about Jesus, yet Satan still persuaded him to betray Jesus – again, perhaps it was a love for money that was the easy root of Judas’ persuasion. Of course this evil persuasion, which was under direction of Satan and his devils, eventually led Judas into betrayal. The root of betrayal may have started with the precious (and expensive) alabaster box of ointment and spikenard that was poured out over Jesus before his crucifixion. The Bible says there were some (perhaps one was Judas) who had indignation over it, and called this precious act a waste. Saying that it could have been sold for money. Mark 14:3-8: And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Whatever the root for Judas evil act, Judas loved the Lord but he still did the act. There are some who may think that Judas never truly followed or believed in Jesus and that Judas walked with Satan from the beginning. However, I ask this question: why did Satan have to enter into Judas if Judas was already his?
Judas walked with Jesus Christ as one of His disciples when Satan started enticing him, eventually leading him to sin against Jesus. Judas loved Jesus’ but he still allowed Satan to entice him away from Jesus; perhaps beginning with the love of money. Whatever it was, Satan eventually won Judas over! As Christians, if we think we cannot be won over by Satan we are mistaken. If we think that because we are Christians we do not have to worry about Satan, we better think again! Regardless of Judas’ reason, we are no different than he when we allow Satan a foothold (root) in our life. Note: it is not bad for us to have money, but we better not let money have us! I Timothy 6:10: For the love of money is the root of all evil…
As Christians, we cannot allow Satan to get any type of foothold in our life. This includes a foothold (or root) of un-forgiveness. Un-forgiveness in a Christian’s heart (unless we allow Jesus to remove it) can lead us down a path of destruction. If Christians do not learn to forgive others this can, and will, leave us vulnerable to Satan’s enticement. I John 4:20-21 is the scripture that convicts my heart the most. It says: “If a man says, I love God, and hateth his brother he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also. This scripture is one that gives me a desire to forgive when others offend me. It keeps me from staying angry at others and allowing Satan a foothold in my life. Holding on to un-forgiveness does not harm others – it harms us. I love God (as I know you do) and we cannot do anything without His help. A person cannot truly love another without Jesus in their life. As Christians, we must refuse to allow anyone or anything to make us so angry that it keeps us from being with God throughout eternity. When someone tells me that they hate somebody and that they will never forgive them, I tell them that they must really love that person if they are willing to give up an eternity with God because of their anger. This is certainly not to condemn them, but is only intended to get them to see past the anger. Nothing is worth losing Jesus over. The sin is not the anger; it is what we do with the anger that becomes a sin. Ephesians 4:26: Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
I want to make this point clear. If you are a Christian, I am not telling you that you have lost Jesus because you may (right now) be angry with someone. What I am trying to do is get you to look past the anger. Take the first step to the rest of your life and give the anger to Jesus Christ. He can take it from you. God does not want you to hold it in, and He knows that you cannot release it by yourself. If He thought we could handle our problems ourselves then why would He send His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us?
Though you may not feel like you can forgive someone who has wronged you, you still need to pray anyway and ask Jesus to help. By saying the prayer you have taken the first step and God will help you take the rest. The anger was never really yours in the first place it came from Satan. Just because thoughts (like anger, un-forgiveness, fear, envy, jealousy, etc) come to our mind it does not mean that these were originally our thoughts, or that we have to entertain or keep them. Satan and his evil spirits can tell when we are upset and they will start whispering evil things into our spiritual ears, and our mind. This is why we must not bring Satan’s abominations into our home. We need to create a Spiritually clean environment to live in. This will make it easier for us to overcome Satan’s evil whispers of enticement. A clean house is a clean mind! Because an evil thought comes to our mind that does not mean it was ours – or that it has to stay. It is only when we act out on the thought that it becomes ours!
If you have anger and un-forgiveness in your life please pray the following prayers, filling in the blank in the second prayer with whoever the Lord may lay on your heart. If Jesus could have forgiven Judas for what he was about to do then certainly, as Christians, we can forgive too!
Dear God I am a sinner in need of a Savior, I cannot save myself. Without Jesus Christ I am lost. I repent for my sins, including the sin of un-forgiveness, and I ask your only begotten Son Jesus Christ to come into my heart and life and to be my Savior! I know that Jesus Christ is the only way to you. John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. I believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, died on the cross for my sins, and has risen from the dead. I know that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and is sitting at the right hand of God. I ask Jesus Christ to come into my heart and save me. From this day forward, with your help Lord Jesus, I will serve you completely. Thank you Jesus Christ for my salvation, Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus name and I thank you for saving me and for forgiving me. I know that you have been patient with me, and that you are kind and longsuffering towards me, but I need your help because I have not shown this same patience and forgiveness towards others. Matthew 26:41 says… “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”. I know that I cannot forgive on my own, it hurts to bad – but with your help and by your power, right now, I choose to forgive ________________. I also forgive myself – but above all, God, I forgive you!
From this day forward I know that you forgive me, and you love me. I thank you for answering my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ my Risen Savior! Amen.
I now declare before heaven that I have acknowledged and accepted Jesus Christ of Nazareth (the true Messiah) as my Risen Savior. I know, Jesus, that you died for me and that God has raised you from the dead – and you are alive. Matthew 28:5-7: And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples the he is risen from the dead… Because you (Jesus) have been given new life, I have been given new life. I ask you Lord Jesus to put a filter on my memories and completely cleanse every un-Godly echo from my past. Please cover my old memories and my old hurts with your precious blood. I refuse to let Satan continually echo things from my past into my mind any longer, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I completely surrender my mind to you Jesus Christ. I want to hear only the things you tell me. Create in my mind, heart, and my life new memories. Echo your thoughts and plans to me. Help me remember only what you want me to remember, and never what Satan wants. I thank you Jesus that not only have you removed the un-Godly echo’s of my past but from this day forward you will also filter anything that goes into my eyes, ears, heart, and soul. I ask you to protect my mind and allow your Holy Spirit to work in my life. I Peter 1:13: Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 26:3: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Ephesians 4:23: And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. I am surrendering my life to you and the lives of my family from this day forward and forever more. I thank you Jesus because your Word says if I ask anything in your name you will do it. John 14:14: If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. So I ask. Amen!
Praise God, you can walk in God’s forgiveness and power! You do not have to accept Satan’s thoughts any longer. Always remember the importance of forgiveness and that God is there to help you, just give it all to Him!
*************************************************************
Releasing the person(s)
Now that you have prayed the prayer of forgiveness you need to RELEASE those individuals. You need to understand that they are in need of God’s salvation, deliverance, and healing – just as you need him in all things! Scriptures tells us in II Corinthians 2:7-8: So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. God does not want them to be overcome with sorrow.
We too can feel sorrow and God wants us to be set free from sorrow. What is sorrow? The following scriptures tell us some examples of sorrow:
Psalm 13:2; Psalm 18:4-6; Psalm 69:29; Psalm 107:39; Psalm 116:3-9; Proverbs 10:22; Proverbs 15:13; Ecclesiastes 11:10; Ecclesiastes 5:17; II Samuel 22:6-7; Matthew 26:21-22; Philippians 2:27
What about grief? It is usually associated with sorrow. Do you think others have experienced grief? Let’s look at some scriptural examples of grief:
Job 2:13; Job 6:2; Job 16:6; Psalm 6:7; Psalm 31:9; Psalm 31:10; Psalm 69:26
Jesus took our grief so that we would not have to! Through Jesus we can overcome anything, including grief.
Isaiah 53:3-4: He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Just as others have grieved us, do you think we ever grieve the Holy Spirit?
Ephesians 4:30-32: And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
What about rejection? It also can bring feelings of sorrow into our life. Jesus was rejected, but because he died on the cross for us (being rejected and despised) we can have strength to overcome rejection.
Luke 6:22; Isaiah 53:4-6; John 1:11; Matthew 10:14; Matthew 13:54-58; Isaiah 49:15; Psalm 27:10; Romans 8:28; Romans 8:31
I know that it may be hard for you to comfort or confirm your love to a person that you just recently forgave; a person who perhaps hurt you years ago, or even recently, especially if you do not ever really see that person. It may even be hard to confirm your love to a person that you see regularly who has hurt you. So how do you confirm your love toward them as II Corinthians 2:7-8 says? You pray for them – even when you do not feel like it!!! In doing so your heart will begin to change toward them. Look at Job, his friends talked against him daily when he was at his lowest point in life and it was not until he prayed for them that God changed them and changed his life also. Job 42:10: And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Job had the wrong kind of comforters – but even so Job still prayed for them even at his lowest time in life. We do not ever want to be like Job’s comforters. We should never add sorrow to anyone’s life no matter what they have done to us or what we may be going through in life – even if we are at a point of sorrow ourselves. We should never make anyone feel like these following scriptures because we know how it feels!
Job 16:2; Psalm 69:20; Ecclesiastes 4:1; Lamentations 1:9; Lamentations 1:16; Nahum 3:7
We can through God’s Holy Spirit be comforted and through His Word we can also help bring comfort – true comfort!
John 14:16-18; John 14:26-27; John 15:26; John 16:7
No matter what emotions we may be struggling through in life whether it is anger, bitterness, critical spirit, pride, control, etc; no matter the emotion God can take us to the root of it and heal us completely. He can bring us out of bondage – and a key to our release is to release others!
Prayer to release someone you have forgiven who has hurt you:
Father God, in the name of Jesus Christ, I ask you to help me release this person. It may not be my will right now but I know it is your will for them to be saved. You died for them just as you died for me and it is not your will that they should perish. 2 Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. It is my prayer that your will would be done in their life and that you would give me strength to release them emotionally now that I have forgiven them. I know that even though I may not feel like it right now I have verbally done this and that with your grace and mercy there is a change taking place in my life, and in the life of the person(s) I have prayed for. I am no longer bound to my chains by hanging onto them and to the hurt they have caused me. I release them in the name of Jesus Christ! I ask you to find every emotional root in my life and begin pulling them out in the name of your precious Son! Thank you so much God for having mercy on me. Thank you for dying for me when I was a sinner and did not deserve it, but you loved me anyway. Romans 5:8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Help me to see this person through your eyes from this day forward, in your precious son Jesus name!