1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: And at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: unto God, and the prisoners heard them. Acts sixteen twenty five. 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,119 Speaker 1: Dear Lord, thank you for your word that teaches me 4 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: how to praise you even in the darkest hour of 5 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: my life. If Paul and Silas could praise you when 6 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: they were in prison, I can undoubtedly praise you when 7 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: my problems seemed to overwhelm me. Their praises brought forth 8 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: their deliverance, and they were set free. Your presence inhabits 9 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: the praises of your people, and praise is the atmosphere 10 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,520 Speaker 1: that brings forth your miracle working power. Help me sing 11 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: during my troubles, and trust in your ability to deliver 12 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: me from any oppression that's trying to come against me. 13 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: Your love for me is bigger than any problem that 14 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: I confront. 15 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 2: Amen. 16 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to pray dot COM's nightly prayer 17 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 3: to experience a pocket of peace before you go to sleep. 18 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 3: Stay tuned for our free meditative prayer after this quick 19 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 3: word from our sponsors. 20 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 2: Welcome to your meditative prayer on deep forgiveness. To get 21 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 2: the most out of your spiritual journey, usepray dot com 22 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 2: every day and make prayer a priority in your life. 23 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 2: Our goal for today's meditative prayer is deep forgiveness. Pause 24 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: for just a second, put aside the day's distractions and 25 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 2: prepare to spend a moment with God. Close your eyes, 26 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 2: take a deep breath in, then slowly breathe out. Now 27 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 2: take captive every thought and shift your focus to what 28 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 2: God has for you. We will be meditating on Hoseiah 29 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 2: chapter ten, verse twelve from the King James version. Sow 30 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:29,839 Speaker 2: to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your 31 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 2: fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, 32 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 2: till he come and reign righteousness upon you. Take a 33 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 2: moment to pour out your adoration to God. God. I 34 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 2: give you praise, for your justice is perfect. I worship 35 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: you for your righteousness is true and will not be 36 00:02:54,919 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 2: withheld from your people. You pour out your mercy, and 37 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 2: with loving kindness you attract my heart. I praise you, 38 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 2: for you are the everlasting God. Your goodness and your faithfulness. 39 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 2: Know no end forgiveness is for your benefit. As counterintuitive 40 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 2: as this may sound, it is absolutely true. There is 41 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 2: a biblical principle called the law of the harvest. Then 42 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 2: forgiveness falls under its jurisdiction. Know that your choices and 43 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 2: your actions dictate what you receive from God, no exceptions. 44 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 2: This is why forgiveness is sowed, not for the benefit 45 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 2: of others, but your own. Part of the reason why 46 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 2: forgiveness can be so hard to give is because we 47 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 2: feel that by forgard giving, we accept defeat. But the 48 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 2: reality is nothing could be further from the truth. When 49 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 2: you plant mercy and grace into those who wronged you, 50 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 2: you are not accepting defeat. On the contrary, you are 51 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 2: ensuring your victory. When you forgive those who sinned against you, 52 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,239 Speaker 2: you are activating a spiritual principle that cannot be broken. 53 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 2: You are triggering God's legal, spiritual authority to bless you, 54 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 2: to be merciful and gracious to you. So do not 55 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 2: give into the temptation of unforgiveness and retribution. Do not 56 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:49,679 Speaker 2: sow for your self venom, vengeance, and violence. For God 57 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 2: does not excuse evil behavior by reason of retaliation or provocation. Instead, 58 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 2: break up all unplowed ground in your life. Seek to 59 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 2: cultivate a harvest of God's goodness and his faithful love, 60 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 2: of his blessings and his divine favor. Strive to do 61 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 2: what is required of you for God to rein his 62 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 2: righteousness over you. Take this time as your opportunity to 63 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 2: remove all impediments to your harvest. Lay your seeds, Bear 64 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,600 Speaker 2: before the Lord. Tell him what is hindering your heart 65 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 2: and preventing you from sowing forgiveness. Come before God and 66 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 2: confess your sins to him. Now, take just a few 67 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 2: minutes to dwell on God's grace for you. Thank Him 68 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,600 Speaker 2: because his love for you is greater than any and 69 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 2: all hurt. Thank the Holy Spirit for empowering you to 70 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:04,799 Speaker 2: overcome all the days. Think of past situations where God's 71 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 2: grace transformed your heart. Thank God for those past experiences 72 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 2: and future ones to come. Thank Him for his mercy 73 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 2: and his faithfulness in your life. Thank God that through 74 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 2: His righteousness you will no longer be controlled by unforgiveness. Instead, 75 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:36,600 Speaker 2: you will live in freedom and enjoy God is present 76 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 2: and he is listening to you. This is your opportunity 77 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 2: to ask for aid in planting your harvest. Reach out 78 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 2: to God this moment and ask him to fill you 79 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 2: with his powerful love. Ask the Holy Spirit to transform 80 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:58,159 Speaker 2: your heart and to fill you with his grace. Ask 81 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 2: him to empower you to let go of grudges of 82 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 2: hate and bitterness. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you 83 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 2: with determination to sow forgiveness to prepare for a harvest 84 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 2: of love and righteousness. Remember, God tells you to plant 85 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 2: a harvest of love and righteousness for yourself. Forgiveness is 86 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 2: not for the benefit of others, It's for your own. 87 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 2: When you plant forgiveness and grace into those who wronged you, 88 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 2: you are preparing for yourself a harvest of justice and goodness. 89 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 2: So do not be afraid and break up the idle 90 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 2: ground in your life. Seek to do what is good 91 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 2: and just in the eyes of the Lord, and prepare 92 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 2: for him to reign righteousness over your life. Choose this 93 00:07:53,960 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 2: day to cultivate justice and joy, renewal, and forgiveness. Step 94 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 2: outside of unforgiveness and into the amazing future God has 95 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 2: for you. Thank you for completing today's meditative prayer on 96 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 2: pray dot com. By incorporating this healthy habit as a 97 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 2: daily practice, you are making prayer a priority and strengthening 98 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 2: your walk with God.