How Do I Forgive My Enemies?

Jesus said in Mathew 5: 43-44, " You have heard that is was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."

The first step in forgiveness is to recognize your resentment against an enemy. You must understand who the enemy is and what he has done to hurt you. Then you must consciously say, "I forgive that person for the following wrongs against me." Then repent of you feelings against your enemy and ask God to forgive you, as Jesus said in Luke 11:4.

After that, begin to pray actively for your enemy's good. Jesus told us to pray for our enemies and that doing this will help to fill us with love for them, (Mathew 5:43-48). When you pray for your enemies, asking God to meet their needs and manifest Himself to them, you are overcoming evil with good. Instead of fighting negative thoughts in your mind, you are filling your mind with positive thoughts of God's love for that person. You are now on the side of your enemy; you have a spiritual stake in his well being. If God answers your prayer, which you want Him to do, the person prayed for will be blessed, and you will have a deeper understanding of redemption - the ultimate form of forgiveness, (Mathew 18: 21-35). So if you ask God to bless someone who has wronged you, the result may well be a repentant sinner, and a new brother or sister in the Lord!
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