Unable to forgive:
I usually like to pray/minister to someone by first of all connecting with them and putting them at ease, that is not always possible or appropriate at the time of meeting them.
This happened recently at our church. A young person between 15-16yrs of age came forward for prayer in answer to a word given out at the front for someone who “was unable to forgive someone, causing them a lot of pain “.
I didn’t even get the chance to ask her name as she was crying and very distressed. Either side of her were her friends who looked very upset at seeing their friend so distressed. They were gripping hold of her almost trying to pour their concern and love into her and had that ‘scared rabbit caught in the headlights ‘ look.
First of all I reassured the two friends that she was in safe hands that ‘Jesus is here’ and that they could trust him to give their friend what she needed. I suggested that they place their gripping hands just lightly on their friend’s shoulder. Next, I asked the girl (I will call her Clara) to just come as she was to Jesus standing at the cross. As this is always the best place to come as everything Jesus did on the cross is enough for all our needs.
Then prompted by the Holy Spirit I asked her to receive what Jesus was giving her .....everything he did on the cross was enough but she needed to receive what He had done. I then pronounced over her “You are forgiven in Jesus’ name ..... receive His forgiveness. She started off crying in a different way, as the realisation that although she was eaten up with un-forgiveness, He was still willing to forgive her! Then I asked Jesus to release the agony of her pain from whoever had hurt her.
Then she started crying out her pain. After a little while, I asked Jesus to draw her pain into himself. Her crying subsided. Then again prompted by the Holy Spirit I asked her if she could extend the forgiveness she had just been given to the person who had hurt her. I said to her “If it helps, see them, or think of them, at the cross with you, standing in front of Jesus”. After a minute or two Clara suddenly started to smile and her face became radiant as she started to whisper “ I am free .... I am free”. Then her face turned heavenwards and while smiling she raised both arms in the air and mouthed over and over “I AM FREE ....I AM FREE” ! At that moment a little girl came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist.
It was so wonderful to be present at this spiritual healing seeing someone becoming free so quickly.
Sometimes in this sort of situation, it is not always as quick as this as there may be other areas that need to be addressed before forgiveness is extended to the perpetrator. This is why we must always follow and track the leading of the Holy Spirit and not have a formula or our own ideas of how things should progress.
Forgiveness is so powerful and un-forgiveness is binding and it leads to bitterness. As we see in the Bible (Mark 2:5 ....that when the paralysed man was brought by his friends to Jesus, first of all, Jesus affirmed him by calling him “Son “ then he forgave him his sins and then he healed him physically so that he could walk. He received emotional healing of affirmation and belonging, then spiritual healing ...forgiveness then physical healing so that he could walk and run.
This is a reminder to us all to forgive others as He has forgiven us.
What a great and merciful God we have. Thank you Lord.