Passage of the Day:
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,[a] but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’ 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins,” Matthew 6:5-15.
Reflection:
Despite growing up in a Roman Catholic Church, I never realized that Jesus placed a condition on forgiveness. At the end of the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father), the forgiveness that God bestows upon you is dependent upon how you forgive other people. Subsequently, if there is one Christian behavior that all believers should strive to emulate in 2024, it is forgiveness.
Prayerful Action:
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins,” Mark 11:24-25.
Building Up Bible Believing Behaviors:
Forgiveness is more than just a word. Genuine forgiveness includes the ability to forget and move on. When someone tells you, “I forgive you, but I’ll never forget what you did,” this is not biblical forgiveness. A first century historian declares in Acts 17:30, “God commands all people everywhere to repent!” In fact, Jesus teaches that if someone sins against you and they don’t know it, it’s your responsibility to talk to this individual and bring your concerns to this individual. As Christians mature and begin to follow Jesus’ call to forgive, Bible believing behaviors are conceived.
Song of the Day:
One of my favorite songs that illustrates the importance of forgiveness is by Crossway. This Country/Christian group does an amazing job of pointing out how human nature influences our ability to forgive. May today’s message and song inspire you to develop a spirit of forgiveness.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 