"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven
“When a deep injury is done to us,
we never heal until we forgive.”
Nelson Mandela
When there is a blockage in a river, everything good is blocked, and nothing refreshing or clean can come from the mountaintop. Eventually, the river will become a swamp, and nothing good can survive; this is what an unforgiving heart becomes: a swamp of bitterness, resentment, and negativity, and we feed these to those around us.
Before my ex-husband passed away, he suffered several strokes, was left paralyzed, and lived the remainder of his life in a rehabilitation center. After being informed, I was amazed that I had compassion toward him, not because I was good; I was healed from the emotional abuse after I went through the healing process. Although I believed I forgave, there was still a myriad of hurts that needed healing. Forgiveness is vital for healing and growth. Also, my unforgiveness toward myself left me paralyzed, and the sin of unbelief said that Christ’s death on the Cross was not enough for either of us. After the Holy Spirit convicted me of this sin, I chose to forgive and release those who wronged me, as God forgave me for my many trespasses against Him. Yes, the fear of the Lord consumed me. The spirit of Unforgiveness continued to control my life, thus blocking God’s blessing of cleansing, healing, and refreshing springs for me and those around me. For God so loved the world, He sent His Son even when we were enemies of God and dead in sin. I am a sinner saved by the Grace of God, and I know that nothing within myself is good; I wanted retribution, and because I was holding on to unforgiveness, I had no stability, and I was blocking God’s blessings from myself and my children.
When I surrendered to God my unforgiveness, fear, and unbelief, I saw myself standing on top of a mountain, releasing what looked like ashes in the wind; a few days later, I was informed of my ex-husband’s passing. Jesus also said that when we forgive, they will be forgiven, and we, too, are forgiven. I don’t wish hell on anyone! Furthermore, and thankfully, God does not desire anyone to perish but to receive everlasting life through Christ, His Son. Furthermore, Forgiveness and healing come through Christ alone. Unforgiveness is a sin, and we are not exempt from the consequences. One day, my mother complained about all the suffering and deaths in our family, and without much thought, I told her that most of our suffering was self-inflicted. We make choices, suffer the consequences, and blame God; that was an Aha moment, the Holy Spirit speaking to me.
After pondering the vision in my heart, the Holy Spirit reminded me that our children and grandchildren will carry the legacy burdens of the spirit of Unforgiveness of my ancestors, producing the fruit of bitterness and resentment. God healed my wounded heart, replaced my fear with faith, and healed my heart, replacing my resentment with compassion and mercy instead of bitterness. I choose forgiveness. I believe that day, I was releasing myself from the torment of an unforgiving spirit that was plaguing my ancestors and me from generation to generation, and it will no longer have dominion over my children and their offspring.
These Daily Prayers have been helping me grow, and I want to share them with you.