Morning Discipline – Learning to Forgive Others

Good morning!

It is a new week and a new day and I’m so glad you could join me as we continue our journey toward renewing our minds and improving our self-discipline. If you’re just joining me, you can read my article, “Morning and Evening: A New Self Discipline Journey” to learn more about why I am doing this, and how this may benefit you as well.

This week we are going to focus each day on building a better relationship with God. Each day this week I will provide affirmations, scriptures, and daily challenges regarding this topic. Next week will be a new one!

With that said, let’s start our morning together!

BREATHING EXERCISE

Before we begin let us take some deep breaths to calm our mind and prepare us for this mornings discipline.

MUSIC FOR A NEW DAY

I personally like to have some soft music in the background, so if that’s something you like as well below you will find a song you can play for the duration of our time together.

PRAYER For Forgiving Others

Now that we’re calm, let us transition to a time of prayer. Over the next few minutes you can pray on your own or feel free to use the following prayer:

Father

Please forgive me when I allow anger and bitterness to fill my heart because I refuse to forgive someone who has hurt me. Teach me how to lay down my rights and choose to forgive in the same way You have forgiven me.

Amen

Mary Southerland | 16 Relieving Prayers for Forgiveness to Make Peace With Yourself and Others

AFFIRMATIONS for Forgiving Others

Here are a few affirmations for this morning that you can put in your pocket and carry with you throughout your day.

As you read through them, repeat each one out loud at least three times before moving to the next. Take your time. Close your eyes and say them to yourself as well. Let these words sink into your heart and mind this morning:

1. I will be kind and tenderhearted and quick to forgive.
2. My lips and my heart will speak forgiveness to those who have hurt me.
3. I will seek to forgive others because I need to be forgiven by others as well.
4. I will forgive others because Christ forgave me.

SCRIPTURES For Forgiving Others

As Christians, our affirmations should be rooted in the strength and power of God who empowers us and strengthens us to face every trial and every day (both good and bad).

Here are some scriptures that further support the affirmations we just spoke to ourselves. Again, repeat each one three times out loud before moving to the next one. Take your time. Maybe try to commit these to memory as well:

1. Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
2. Mark 11:25, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
3. Luke 6:37, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven…”
4. Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

TODAYS CHALLENGE

Our challenge today is this: forgive someone that you’ve been needing to forgive…like, really forgive them.

Believe it or not, forgiveness (or lack of it) can become a barrier between you and God (as well as you and others). It’s true! Think about it, if you’re bitter, and angry, and carrying this unforgiveness around you’re probably a very miserable person to be around.

Then there’s this whole thing Jesus said in Matthew 6:15, “But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” See…our forgiveness of others has a direct impact on our relationship with God.

I’m having to live this out my friends. Today actually…well, it started a few weeks back, but today I’m having to model this for my kids.

You see, several years ago my parents divorced and my father left my mother for someone else. It was hard to watch, and I was an adult when it happened. But the hardest part was forgiving my father and having a relationship with him. As a result, I spent the last 10 years keeping him away and my kids spent the last 10 years not knowing their grandfather.

A few weeks ago my wife and I had lunch with my dad. It was the first time I had seen him face to face or heard his voice in 10 years. I was nervous, but by the end of the meal and our conversation I think God used that time to begin a healing in my heart toward my father.

Today (April 14, 2023), I’m taking my kids to see my dad. 1 of my kids has never met him, 1 of my kids was too young to remember him, 1 of my kids remembers him but doesn’t really have any issues with him, and 1 of my kids was old enough to remember him and struggle with what he did.

It’s going to be hard, but it is necessary.

And not only will my relationship with my father benefit from this, but my relationship with The Father (God) will benefit as well.

So I encourage you to sit down with God today and ask Him to help you identify someone in your life that you need to forgive, and then find a way to forgive them. You won’t regret it.

Quote of the Day

Today’s quote comes from Norman Cousins who was a journalist, author, professor and world peace advocate…and he said:

Life is an adventure in forgiveness.

Norman Cousins

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