Taken from pages 185-189 of Effective Fervent Prayer, © 1991 by Mary Alice
Isleib; ISBN 0-9629986-0-5
Mark 11:25,26 (Amplified) – And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.
Jesus prayed the Prayer of Forgiveness. Do you remember what some of His last words were when He was on the cross? “Father, forgive them.” He was saying, “I forgive them and, Father, I ask you to forgive them and not to put this on their charge.” He was crying out that they would be released; that God would forgive them.
There is a side to the Prayer of Forgiveness that is a form of intercession; a side where we stand in the gap, that God would not remember the sin of the person who has sinned against us. That’s how much love there is in this prayer. It doesn’t have anything to do with our feelings, good or bad.
Remember, it’s a choice we make. We choose to pray the Prayer of Forgiveness, and when we believe when we pray, it works. God hears and answers this kind of prayer. He loves it!
5 Steps to the Prayer of Forgiveness
- You must forgive the person who has wronged you
- Ask God to forgive them
- Ask God to forgive you
- Release the emotion of the situation and the relationship to the Lord. Pray about the hurt and rejection and release it in the presence of the Lord. Choose to let the rejection, feelings, and hurt go when you pray.
- Forget it! Right there in your prayer, just forget it.
Again, this is something you have to choose to do. Many people want to remember it, think about it, talk about it, and remember it some more. No! Forget it! If you’ll do that in your prayer, the Holy Spirit will help you. This doesn’t mean the relationship is automatically going to change; you have to understand that. There may still be things that have to be dealt with, but what you’re dealing with in this prayer is your heart and keeping it clean and pure. When the Holy Spirit leads you to pray this way, do it! There’s power in this kind of prayer.
Unforgiveness is a sin. Just ask God to forgive you.
Pray, “Father, first of all, I thank you that you showed me that this attitude was in my heart. I thank You, Father, that you love me and you showed me this. Father, I ask You to forgive So-and-so for what he did and said and for how he acted, and for all the others who have been involved in this situation.
I ask in faith, out of the love of my heart, and with all the sincerity of my heart. I ask You, Father, to forgive them and, Father, I forgive them. I forgive all those words they said that hurt me. I forgive them, I ask you to forgive them, and together we let that go from their case.
And Father, I ask you to forgive me. I came into this and I thought negatively about it. I have been angry about it, and I have spoken angry words. I’ve harbored bitterness in my heart toward this, and I don’t want it to go any farther. I don’t want a root of bitterness to be in me.
Father, I ask you to forgive me. I know that I’ve said things in a wrong spirit and a wrong attitude about this person and about these people and, Father, I ask you to forgive me. I call it sin. I have sinned against you and against them. I confess it, and I thank You that when I confess my sin, you are faithful and just to forgive me and to restore me. I thank You, Father, for the purity and the cleansing of the Holy Spirit over my heart and mind and this relationship.”
Choose to let the rejection, feelings, and hurt go when you pray.
Pray, “Father, I also ask you and I thank you that you have healed me right now of those words and the hurt. I don’t want to come to you with self-pity, pride, or hardness toward you or anyone.
Father, I ask you to touch my heart. As an act of my will, I choose not to be hurt. I release the hurt, the rejection, and the emotion in this relationship. Father, I bless those who curse me.
Thank you, Father, for your power in my heart and mind that takes away hurt, rejection, and bad feelings. I receive your power now. I have it now, and I thank you for it in Jesus’ Name. The feelings, the hurt, the emotion is touched right now by the Holy Spirit. I thank you for it. I receive it in Jesus’ Name. I refuse to accept hurt, anger, isolation, frustration, or rejection.
Thank you, Father, for the freedom and the flow of the Holy Spirit touching my heart and mind right now. I take it by faith, and I’m healed in my heart, my mind, and my soul. I look to you, Holy Spirit, as my Comforter.”
Forgiving does involve forgetting. Pray in the Spirit if you want to, and then say,
“Father, now that I’ve prayed about this, I leave it here in your presence. I choose not to remember it. Holy Spirit, help me not to remember this. I leave it in your presence. It is finished. It is done. I forget it because of the blood; because of love, in Jesus’ Name.
Holy Spirit, help me to walk this out. Help me, Father, because I still have to deal with these people; but now I can deal in purity and love, and I don’t have to deal out of hurt, bitterness, unforgiveness, or hardness. I can walk in your wisdom, purity, and love and walk through this relationship victoriously, with your power.
I thank you, Father, for your help in this relationship. In Jesus’ Name, I will keep my heart right. Thank you, Father, that now I can walk in forgiveness. Let forgiveness flow from my life. I thank you for it.
Satan, I rebuke you and your hold on my life. You can’t bind me in this situation, in Jesus’ Name. I break the power of all rejection and every evil force released against me, in Jesus’ Name. Thank you, Father, for victory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
