Sat. Aug 2nd, 2025

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. —Matthew 5:44

Total forgiveness involves praying for God’s blessings to rain on the lives of your offenders. When you do this as Jesus intends it, you are being set free indeed.

To truly pray for the one who hurt you means to pray that they will be blessed, that God will show favor to them rather than punish them, and they will prosper in every way. In other words, you pray that they will be dealt with as you want God to deal with you. You don’t pray, “God, deal with them.” You don’t pray, “Lord, get them for what they did to me.” And neither is it enough to say, “Father, I commend them to You.” That’s a cop-out. You must pray that they receive total forgiveness, just as you want it for yourself.

To me the greatest inspiration to live in this manner is found in the life—and death—of Stephen. He is one of my heroes. When I read Acts 6:8-15 and consider the Holy Spirit’s touch on his life, his enemies’ inability to contradict his wisdom, the miracles he did, and his radiant countenance, I say to myself, I’d give anything in the world for that kind of anointing. His secret, however, emerged at the end of his life. While his enemies threw stones at him, he prayed—seconds before his last breath—”Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). And therein lies the secret to his unusual anointing.

I must add one caution: Never go to a person you have had to forgive and say, “I forgive you.” This will be counterproductive every time unless it is to a person that you know is yearning for you to forgive them. Otherwise, you will create a stir with which you will not be able to cope. They will say to you, “For what?” It is my experience that nine out of ten people I have had to forgive sincerely do not feel they have done anything wrong. It is up to me to forgive them from my heart—and then keep quiet about it.

Excerpted from Total Forgiveness (Charisma House, 2002).

Leave a Reply

By submitting your comment, you agree to receive occasional emails from [email protected], and its authors, including insights, exclusive content, and special offers. You can unsubscribe at any time. (U.S. residents only.)

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Podcasts

More News
The Lord’s Prayer and Cultural Change
The Lord’s Prayer and Cultural Change
I Found God In My Children’s Eyes
I Found God In My Children’s Eyes
5 Sins That Open the Door to Demons, and How to Shut Them for Good
5 Sins That Open the Door to Demons, and How to Shut Them for Good
5 Signs You’re Falling Into End-Times Deception and Don’t Even Know It
5 Signs You’re Falling Into End-Times Deception and Don’t Even Know It
Why Grace Is the Most Underrated Weapon in the Christian Life
Why Grace Is the Most Underrated Weapon in the Christian Life
Warning to the Church: Gossip is Quenching the Fire of the Holy Spirit
Warning to the Church: Gossip is Quenching the Fire of the Holy Spirit
Perry Stone Reveals Hidden Battles Ministries Face
Perry Stone Reveals Hidden Battles Ministries Face
A Vision of Hell: What This Woman Saw After Her Car Accident
A Vision of Hell: What This Woman Saw After Her Car Accident
What Set This Revelation Church Apart from the Others?
What Set This Revelation Church Apart from the Others?
Rescued From the Pit
Rescued From the Pit
previous arrow
next arrow
Shadow

Latest Videos
113K Subscribers
1.3K Videos
12.6M Views

Copy link