The document discusses the importance of forgiveness according to Christian teachings. It summarizes that forgiveness is required in the Lord's Prayer and is mentioned in both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Forgiveness means releasing others from debts or sins against you. The document provides steps for forgiveness, such as not waiting for an apology, forgiving from the heart without excusing harmful behaviors, and choosing to forgive through an act of will rather than feeling. Forgiveness is presented as a gift that frees oneself from bitterness rather than a punishment against others. People are encouraged to forgive seventy times seven and let go of judgments.

1. “PRAYER AND
FORGIVENESS: THE GATE
TO SUCCESS” Matthew 6:5-15;
Luke 11: 1-13
KUMI UNIVERSITY
WORSHIP HOUR
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
BY
ROBERT AGWOT KOMAKECH
Author & Teaching Assistant

2. Introduction
One of the most famous passages in the
LORDS’/Family Prayer asks for forgiveness.
Therefore, we MUST have the ability to forgive
others. This prayer appears in two Gospel i.e.
Mathew and Luke. The original terms are different
but the translation of both says “Forgiveness.” In
Mathew 6:12; Forgiveness meant that of Debts
(one’s obligation to pay) while in Luke 11:4;
Forgiveness meant that of Sins (reestablishment
of some interpersonal relationship which was
fractured due to misdeed or wrong doing).

3. Con’t
According to Oxford English Dictionary 6th
edition,
forgiveness is defined as “To grant free pardon and
to give up all claim on account of an offence or
debt.” Psychologists generally define forgiveness
as; “A conscious, deliberate decision to release
feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a
person or group who has harmed you, regardless of
whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.”
In this context, forgiveness is letting go of the need for
revenge and releasing negative thoughts, of
bitterness, anger and resentment.

4. Illustration
If a careless friend breaks your precious glass in your
room. What do you do? (Three things; To forgive/
Keep Quite /Not to forgive). If you forgive him/her it
means you will not make him/her to pay. Implying you
have set him/her free of debt or sin. S/he is free to go
because you have said; “I release you from your
debt. Go and leave your chain behind.” To forgive
is to completely set the prisoner free!
The Bible says in Mathew 6:14-15; “For if you forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if
you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses,” NIV

5. Con’t
Friends what makes forgiveness hard its because we
want others to decide for ourselves. Look there are
those who will tell you …
I don’t know how you have suffered ... But if you look at
the faces of those who have suffered the past, their
hearts are full of bitterness and they are thinking of
killing, cursing, revenging. Dear ones, since God
requires you to forgive, it is something you can do.
Though you sometimes find it is hard to forgive
someone because you naturally want revenge for the
things you have suffered.

6. How do we Forgive
1. Don’t wait for other person to ask for your forgiveness
Many time we often think of forgiveness as
something that someone who has done us wrong must
ask of us. NO! Jesus did not wait those who were
crucifying Him to do so. But He forgave them. The Bible
tells us in Luke 23:24 that Jesus told those who were
weeping, flogging… Him that; “…Father, forgive them;
for they do not know what they are doing.” Therefore,
forgiveness is not ONLY for the person who wronged/ has
hurt you. Not to forgive is like taking a poison because you
will continue suffering the pain and expecting s/he to die!

7. Cont
2. Forgiveness is Not Excusing/ Giving Permission to
Continue Hurtful Behaviors
It is from your heart but some people say I have
forgiven you after kicking, slapping, abusing,… As
Christian, you don’t have to wait until you feel like
forgiving. “You will never get there. Make the hard
choice to forgive even if you don’t feel like it.” One
you choose to forgive, Satan will have lost his power
over you in that area. Gods’ healing touch will be free
to move in your life.

8. Cont
3. Forgiveness is a Choice/ a Decision of Will
Refusing to forgive by holding onto the anger,
bitterness, resentment and a sense of betrayal can
make your own life miserable. A vindictive/ harmful
mind-set creates bitterness and lets the betrayer
claim one more victim.
The Bible says, “Dearly beloved, avenge not
yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:
for it is written, vengeance is mine; I will repay
says the LORD,” Romans 12:19.

9. Cont
4. Forgiveness is a Gift you give to yourself
It is not something you do for someone else. It is not
complicated, it is simple but only what you need to
do is to identify the situation to be forgiven and
ask yourself; Am I willing to waste my energy on
this matter? If the answer is NO, then that is it! All
is forgiven.
However, some people still say, always s/he hurt me
and I forgive. Its now too much I am going to
teach s/he a lesson…

10. Cont
The number of times one should forgive is not limited. Peter
one of Jesus disciples had the same challenge on the
number of times he should forgive his brother. Mathew
18:21-22 says, Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord,
how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive
him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say
to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times
seven.”
Therefore, this answer by Jesus makes it clear that
forgiveness is not easy for us. It is not a one time choice,
it requires lifetime. In this Spirit, we must continue
forgiving until the matter is settled in our heart.

11.  When you choose not to forgive, who are you
really punishing?
 Who carries that judgment whenever s/he
goes?
Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Let all bitterness and
wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be
put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind
to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each
other, just as God in Christ sake has forgiven
you.”

12. Con’t
Colossians 3:13 says, “Bearing with one another,
and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint
against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so
also should you.”
Therefore, forgiving ones’ enemy does not mean to
be FAINTHEARTED, but to have a strong SOUL.

13. SAY THIS PRAYER
LORD, I choose to forgive (name the person) for
(what s/he did) even though it made me feel
(share the painful feel). LORD, I choose not to
hold any of these things against (name it) any
longer, I thank you for setting me free from the
bondage of my bitterness towards (name). I
now ask you to bless (name). In Jesus’ Name I
pray. AMEN!

14. MAY GOD BLESS YOU!