31 Days of Prayer for your Spouse {Day 8 :: Forgiveness}

Forgiveness

“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Matthew 18:21-22

  Fortunately, Jesus isn’t giving a multiplication lesson.  Rather, He’s giving us the secret to a Christ-centered marriage!   Can you think of any reason as to why you should not forgive your spouse?  Maybe it’s a harsh word or a demeaning tone of voice that keeps reeling in your head.   Is it the irresponsible spending in your finances?  Perhaps it’s the parenting disagreements that continue to escalate with teenagers. Or maybe it’s the unthinkable…. adultery (which includes emotional affairs and/or pornography – Matthew 5:27).   Forgiveness is at the heart of the Christ centered life because Christ first forgave you. Forgiveness is about faith for both the offender and the offended.  If I’m unwilling to forgive, I simply do not understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ (read the rest of the passage in Matthew 23-35).   It’s only through the tears of forgiveness and the pain of reconciliation that I reflect the amazing grace of Christ Himself.  It’s in the journey of laying down my rights and giving up the illusion of control in my marriage that I truly experience Christ’s Love through forgiveness.   Father, thank you for first forgiving me through your son Jesus.  Please allow me to see “the plank in my own eye” when I’m unwilling to forgive the person I promised to love in good times and bad.  Please give me eyes to see my spouse’s repentant heart and ears to hear the sound of reconciliation in our marriage.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.  

    To see a list of all of the devotions for 31 Days of Prayer for Your Spouse, click here. Make 2014 the year that you add the most important ingredient for a wonderful and fulfilling marriage…grace! Dr. Kimmel’s new book Grace Filled Marriage is a great place to start! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google +. Subscribe to our blog!