GRANTING YOUR FORGIVENESS


JESUS EMPHASIZES THE EXTREME IMPORTANCE OF GRANTING OUR
FORGIVENESS TO OTHERS SO THAT WE, OURSELVES, MAY BE FORGIVEN. 

   Here are His teachings on this subject . . .

   
   Matthew 6:14-15
   For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father
   will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins,
   your Father will not forgive your sins.

   
   Matthew 18:21-22
   Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I
   forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
   Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you up to seven times, but 
   up to seventy times seven."

   
   Matthew 18:35
   "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you
   forgive your brother from your heart."
   
   
   Mark 11:25-26
   And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone,
   forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
   But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven
   forgive your sins.

   
   Luke 6:37
   "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you
   will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
   
   
   Luke 17:3
   So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he
   repents, forgive him.
   
   
   Luke 17:4
   If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes
   back to you and says, `I repent,' forgive him."
   



A PRAYER/POEM WHICH RE-EXPRESSES THESE TEACHINGS . . .


            "As You Forgive, So Shall You Be Forgiven"


            I pray that you will learn this teaching well,
            I pray that you engrave it on your heart.
            The Lord has spoken clearly as can be:
            "As you forgive, so shall you be forgiven."

                             *    *    *

            So if someone has done you wrong, forgive!
            And if somebody steals from you, forgive!
            And if they lie and laugh at you, forgive!
            And if they beat you half to death, forgive!

                             *    *    *

            So when the day of judgment comes for you,
            And He reviews the life that you have led,
            I pray the record shows that you forgave,
            So He can say, "I likewise do forgive."

                             *    *    *

            In Jesus' name I pray for you, Amen.




HERE IS A PRAYER YOU CAN USE TO GRANT YOUR FORGIVENESS TO OTHERS


THIS PRAYER IS FOR YOU, YOURSELF, TO PRAY

"To Grant Your Forgiveness"

   NOTE:  This is a prayer for you to grant your forgiveness
   to everyone who has hurt you or has aroused the emotion of 
   anger in you.  You may make a list of these people,  and 
   complete it to the best of your ability.
   If you don't know a particular name, you may merely describe 
   the situation, like "The man who ran my car off the road last 
   year, then drove away."  
   As you are praying, you refer to this "forgiveness list."
   You may repeat this prayer whenever you need to.
   As a Christian, you never want to hold a grudge against
   anyone very long.

                             *    *    *

             O Lord, I raise my humble prayer to you,
             That you might soothe my soul and grant me peace,
             For I have burned in anger, raged in wrath.

             I have listed the names of those I want to forgive.
             So Lord, I now declare that I forgive the people who 
	     are listed here today.
             
	     Every wrong that they have done to me,
             I do forgive and blot out of my heart.

             For any anger they aroused in me,
             I do forgive them, each and every one.

             And any others, not upon this list,
             I also do forgive them, every one.

             I do sincerely promise this to you.
             And as I now forgive those listed here,

             I pray that you will likewise grant to me,
             Complete forgiveness for my many sins.
             In Jesus' name I pray to you, Amen.