Forgiveness is a cornerstone of the Christian faith, but it is often difficult for us to embrace. A retired pastor at our church offered this prayer about forgiveness a few Sundays ago. It was so compelling that I wanted to share it with each of you. Thank you, Pastor Greg for allowing me to reprint it.

Dear God, Help us to realize that forgiveness is necessary in order for us to have personal peace and happiness. Help us to love ourselves enough not to hold grudges. Show us how to be understanding when others refuse to forgive out of their sense of deep pain or from anger, jealousy, or resentment, or because of a desire for revenge, or because they think it’s socially unacceptable to do so, or due to pride, or because it is just easier to cut someone out of one’s life.

Remind us of the consequences of our refusal to forgive: We become led by our anger, pain, or hatred. We are directed by negative memories. We do not act freely. We are pressured by lives of tension and stress. We shorten our lives. Our relationships with others becomes strained. We feel unrelieved guilt. We live with a poor sense of self-worth. And our relationship with You, O God, is weakened.

Help us to see that forgiving is an empowered form of giving wherein we are called to remain open and giving even in the midst of our hurt, pain, anger, and frustration.

Help us to be other-centered by looking at the one in need of forgiveness instead of at our wounds.

Teach us that forgiveness is an invitation to someone to recognize himself or herself as a person of great worth and value, and, thus, as someone worth redeeming. Show us the importance of showing those who have hurt us that they are more than the painful thing they did.

Remind us, Father, that as deep as our pain may be when we have been wronged, that there is a strength and comfort that goes beneath the pain.

Enable us to have the attitude of Jesus in forgiveness, Father. As He forgave because He was truly free, so may we. As He was unconcerned with losing face or with being hurt again or with putting others on probation for hurting Him the first time, may our forgiveness also be an unconditional display of love and acceptance offered with no strings attached.

We pray this in the name of Jesus, who not only taught us about forgiveness but who actively showed us how to practice it. Amen

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked,

“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?

Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

(Matthew 18:21-22)