September 24, 2026
Thursday, September 24
Have you ever tried to dig the stump of a tree out of the ground? Even a tiny sapling is a ton of work. For a full-grown tree, it’s impossible for one person to get it done. You need help. On Monday, I wrote that Christians should be set apart from non-Christians by a forgiving spirit. But I mentioned another quality: a repentant heart. There comes a time when you know you’ve been hurt too badly. You can choose not to get vengeance, but that anger is still in you. Forgiveness may be a journey, but you’re not sure you can make it to the end of that journey. So you call on the name of Jesus. You repent of your unforgiveness. Like Paul in Romans 7:24-25, you say, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
In other words, sometimes forgiveness can’t be done on our own. So, how do we get God’s help in paying the cost of forgiveness? Let’s explore that today and tomorrow.
First, we pray for them. Jesus commanded us to do that in Matthew 5:44, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Such a clear command, yet how often do we literally obey? Seriously: Can you remember the last time you prayed for the well-being of someone you can’t stand? They have needs, just like you. They have family members who struggle in a variety of ways as well. Ask the Lord for His love to be poured out on your nemesis and their loved ones. Pray that they would repent and experience abundant life. I’ll admit this is hard. There’s no earthly reward for it. And it’s the opposite of the way we want to pray. But like all the other commands in Scripture, Jesus gave us this one to make life better for us, not harder. Try obeying Him in this, and see what happens.
Second, we pray for ourselves. We pray especially when we can’t stop thinking about what that person did to us. Have you ever tried to banish harmful thoughts from your mind? It’s impossible. The harder you try NOT to think about something, the more you remind yourself of that thing. But you can replace a bad thought with a good one. When those memories come flooding back, when you feel anger toward them, when you see them somewhere and your stomach turns, those are all cues to start praying for God to heal your own heart.
If you try to pull up the root of bitterness on your own, you’ll quickly become discouraged and give up. But if you bring God into the equation, asking for His help, obeying His command, you will overcome.
“Lord, if there is someone I need to pray for right now, bring them to my mind. I am asking your Spirit to keep that person on my mind until I have prayed as I should. And meanwhile, heal my heart of any resentment I still feel. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
