During this Ash Wednesday service we looked at the tradition, Job, and the importance of forgiving to put ourselves back under the covering and protection of God. We prayed for God search our hearts and then we forgave an individual that have not forgiven.
The handout for the service is below.
Prayer to Search Your Heart
Father God, in your presence today, I declare before you and all of Heaven that I have forgiven, from my heart, every person who has hurt me or sinned against me. If this is not true, please show me now.
Prayer of Forgiveness
Lord Jesus, from my heart today I chose to forgive [name] for: (List all of the things for which you’re forgiving this person out loud). In Jesus’ name, I place all of their sins and offenses against me under the blood of Christ. I now renounce the evil effects these sins have had on my life and any agreements I have made, or lies I have believed because of them. I ask you to forgive me for my resentment and bitterness against [name]. I now surrender them to you and ask you to bless them, in your name, Jesus. Amen.
Illustration of Unforgiveness
When we do not forgive someone it is like we take them captive and put them into a prison deep in our heart. You have to go down a dark staircase to this nearly pitch black prison. In this barebone concrete floored prison there is a jail cell for each person you haven’t forgiven, and they are clothed in rags and have a box of rocks that represent all of the ways they have hurt you in the box outside of their jail cell.
Forgiving a person from the heart looks like going into the jail with Jesus and unlocking the door and leading them back up the stairs and releasing them into the light of day and giving that box of rocks to Jesus and letting him care for the person who hurt you and take your offenses away.
