"Prayer Power"
by Petey Prater
May 2006
“I will never forgive him, ever!” She spit the words at me like venom. “What father would abuse his own child? I hate him.”
Mary’s fury is justified. The one, who should have loved her most, repeatedly raped her innocence. Now, many years later, anger and bitterness consume her.
“You’ve got to release him,” I respond. “You won’t have peace until you do.”
Mary is not the only one who struggles to forgive others. Anger is a problem for everyone. All of us become angry when people hurt us or fail to meet our expectations. Anger boils when trust is betrayed or people deliberately lie to us or about us.
However, an angry, bitter attitude is unacceptable to a holy God. Scripture says “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Ps 66:18)
Webster’s dictionary states iniquity is gross injustice, sin, wickedness. Unwillingness to extend grace to those who have wronged me is sin. God sees my vindictive spirit. Because he is a holy God, he cannot look on wickedness.
Sin separates me from God, keeping him from hearing and answering my prayers.
I want revenge when people hurt me. Jesus whispers, “Forgive.”
His Word says:
“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him,
so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.” (Mark 11: 25,26)
God pardons all who repent. However, wrongdoing will not go unpunished. Retribution is his. “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, ‘It is mine to avenge, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (Rom. 12:19)
Can I trust God to deal with my enemies and heal my hurt? I must.
An angry, unforgiving spirit creates excessive sorrow, allowing Satan a toehold in my life. My sins pass down to the third and fourth generations of my children, creating new offenses. (Ex 34:7)
My focus becomes self instead of God. Fellowship with Jesus and spiritual growth are choked off in my life; holiness and sin are never intimate friends.
God requires mercy. I am incapable of that pure love. However, He provides a remedy. If I cry to him for help, he gives me the willingness and the ability to release my enemies to his justice.
Each time I make the choice to let God avenge me, he enters the garbage dump of my grievances, heals my hurts and gives me his grace to forgive.
Now my heart is at peace with God. Now my spirit is pure and fellowship with him is restored. Now he hears and answers my prayers.
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Petey Prater is a Beaverton, OR writer and speaker who can be reached at donprater@juno.com. She has contributed to two books available in Christian bookstores.
Prayers for Troubled Times compiled by Jeannie St John Taylor, AMG Publishers and
101 Stories of Answered Prayer by Jeannie St John Taylor, AMG Publishers