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Speaker 1: A new commandment. I give unto you that ye love

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Speaker 1: one another as I have loved you, that ye also

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Speaker 1: love one another. By this shall all men know that

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Speaker 1: ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

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Speaker 1: John thirteen thirty four through thirty five. Dear Lord, we

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Speaker 1: come to you asking for your grace to forgive those

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Speaker 1: who have wronged us. Help us to be gracious in

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Speaker 1: forgiving people, full of love and understanding towards others. We

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Speaker 1: want people to recognize Jesus in us and remember that

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Speaker 1: if he can forgive our sins, then why can't we

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Speaker 1: forgive one another. You are the source of all peace

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Speaker 1: and patience. You have called us to love others and

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Speaker 1: turn away from our own desires. Give us the strength

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Speaker 1: to be mindful of how we interact with others, as

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Speaker 1: it is not our place to judge or demand repayment

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Speaker 1: for wrongs done against us. Lead us in your way

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Speaker 1: of forgiving and loving others unconditionally. Let us not forget

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Speaker 1: the examples set by Jesus and to instead treat others

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Speaker 1: with kindness and grace. Help us to be humble in

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Speaker 1: our speech and honorable in our actions, so that you

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Speaker 1: may be seen in us. In Jesus' name. Amen. Thank

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Speaker 1: you for joining me in prayer. Stay tuned for today's

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Speaker 1: free podcast Meditative Prayers with Zach Clinton, where you can

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Speaker 1: draw close to God and find strength in him.

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Speaker 2: My friends, welcome to your meditative prayer on deep forgiveness.

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Speaker 2: To get the most out of your spiritual journey, usepray

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Speaker 2: dot com every day and make prayer a priority in

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Speaker 2: your life. Again. Our goal for today's meditative prayer is

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Speaker 2: all about deep forgiveness. So right now, separate yourself from

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Speaker 2: all else, maybe in a quiet and calm place. Take

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Speaker 2: a moment to find your center. As you close your

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Speaker 2: eyes and breathe in and out, just let your body

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Speaker 2: simply relax. Now turn your thoughts to the Word of

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Speaker 2: God and invite the Holy Spirit to fill your heart

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Speaker 2: and open yourself to receive from the Lord. Today we'll

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Speaker 2: be meditating on John chapter thirteen, verses thirty four to

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Speaker 2: thirty five, from the King James version. A new commandment.

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Speaker 2: I give unto you that ye love one another as

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Speaker 2: I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

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Speaker 2: But this shall all men know that ye are my disciples.

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Speaker 2: If ye love one to another. By this shall all

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Speaker 2: men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have

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Speaker 2: love one to another, my friends, right now, pour out

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Speaker 2: your adoration to God who showed his love through Christ. Jesus, God,

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Speaker 2: I praise you forgiving me the very best of who

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Speaker 2: you are, for demonstrating your love through your actions at

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Speaker 2: the Cross. I exalt you, Lord, for your love is

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Speaker 2: unrestrained and unconditional. You withhold nothing back, and you love

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Speaker 2: me completely. You are commanded to love others as God

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Speaker 2: loved you, and love gives the very best of itself.

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Speaker 2: It holds no grudges and keeps no score. To love

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Speaker 2: as you are loved by Jesus is to have mercy

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Speaker 2: and to show grace, to have compassion, and to not

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Speaker 2: withhold clemency even in the face of betrayal. You see

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Speaker 2: Jesus demonstrated love and forgiveness time and time again. But

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Speaker 2: nowhere is this truth made clearer than at the scene

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Speaker 2: of the Last Supper. Jesus was fully aware Judas was

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Speaker 2: about to betray him, and yet there was a place

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Speaker 2: at the table for Judas. Still in full knowledge of

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Speaker 2: what was to happen, that he would be betrayed and crucified,

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Speaker 2: Jesus still offered grace and mercy because his actions did

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Speaker 2: not depend on Judas. Judas was given a seat at

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Speaker 2: the table not because he deserved it, but because Jesus

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Speaker 2: loved him in spite of who he was and what

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Speaker 2: he did. Christ's actions were based uniquely and solely on

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Speaker 2: his relationship with the Father. As you are called to

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Speaker 2: love and to live as Christ did. The closest you

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Speaker 2: will ever come to personifying Jesus this side of eternity

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Speaker 2: is when you forgive someone who does not deserve nor

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Speaker 2: want your forgiveness, because that is it exactly what Jesus

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Speaker 2: did for all of us. Jesus Christ died for our

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Speaker 2: sins to give us forgiveness while we were yet his enemies. Now,

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Speaker 2: my friends, consider for a moment God's unmatched love in

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Speaker 2: your life and thank him for it. Thank God that

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Speaker 2: his love is all encompassing and has no limits. Thank

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Speaker 2: Him that his love affords you constant forgiveness for all

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Speaker 2: of your offenses. Thank Jesus that he did not hold

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Speaker 2: your wrongs against you. Thank Him for giving you compassion

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Speaker 2: in place of condemnation. Think for a minute on past

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Speaker 2: experiences where God's love gifted you with mercy, and thank

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Speaker 2: Him for all past blessings of His grace over your

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Speaker 2: life and for those still to come. My friends, God

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Speaker 2: is present and he is listening to you. Jesus died

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Speaker 2: for you while you were still lost in your sins,

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Speaker 2: while you are still his enemy. Christ understands the challenge

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Speaker 2: of the task he has set before you. So right

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Speaker 2: now this is your chance to approach the throne of

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Speaker 2: God and ask for divine intervention. Petition God for his

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Speaker 2: grace to flood your soul, to fill you to overflowing,

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Speaker 2: and to permeate every area of your heart. Ask the

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Speaker 2: Holy Spirit to teach you to forgive all who wrong you,

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Speaker 2: regardless if they are friend or foe. Ask the Holy

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Speaker 2: Spirit to empower you to give the best of yourself

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Speaker 2: in love demonstrated through acts of forgiveness, kindness, and grace. Remember,

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Speaker 2: God expects you to show to others the love you

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Speaker 2: have received from Him. If Christ rules in your heart,

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Speaker 2: his likeness should be seen in your actions. You are

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Speaker 2: to forgive others, to be compassionate, and to show mercy,

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Speaker 2: to love others as you are loved by God. Seize

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Speaker 2: this day this opportunity unity to demonstrate God's love to

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Speaker 2: this world. Give grace, and act with kindness, answer strife

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Speaker 2: with peace, and strive toward witnessing God's love and forgiveness.

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Speaker 2: Unto all my friends, thank you for completing today's meditative

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Speaker 2: prayer on pray dot com. By incorporating this healthy habit

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Speaker 2: as a daily practice, I believe you're not only making

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Speaker 2: prayer priority, but you're also strengthening your walk with God.

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Speaker 2: As always, my name is Zach Clinton, Vice President of

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Speaker 2: the American Association of Christian Counselors, and we love being

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Speaker 2: a part of your life. Hey, before you go, if

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Speaker 2: you're looking for more help, hope, inspiration and information, I

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Speaker 2: would encourage you to go visit our website at AACC

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Speaker 2: dot net. Again, that is AACC dot net