Power of a Praying Woman 10/17/06 9:02 AM Page 46
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The Power of a Praying Woman
Often we don’t recognize the unforgiveness that is in us. We think we are forgiving, but we really aren’t. If we don’t ask God to reveal our unforgiveness to us, we may never get free of the paralyzing grip it has on our lives. A big part of making sure our lives are clean and right before God has to do with forgiving other people. We can never move into all God has for us unless we do.
An Excellent Choice
I know “hate” is a very strong word, and we hate to use the word “hate” about anything. And we certainly hate the thought that we might actually have hate for another person. But that’s what unforgiveness is—the root of hate. When we entertain unforgiving thoughts, they turn to hate inside of us. Jesus felt so strongly about this that He said, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15). He also said, “Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25). Now let’s get this straight. When we don’t forgive, we are considered murderers without any eternal hope who shouldn’t expect God to forgive us until we have forgiven others. I’d say that if it’s between forgiving and not forgiving, forgiving seems like the better choice. When we choose not to forgive, we end up walking in the dark (1 John 2:9-11). Because we can’t see clearly, we stumble around in confusion. This throws our judgment off and we make mistakes. We become weak, sick, and bitter. Other people notice all this because unforgiveness shows in the face, words, and actions of those who have it. They see it, even if they can’t speci?cally identify what it is, and they