1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 1: Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how oft 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: shall my brother sin against me? And I forgive him 3 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: till seven times? Jesus saith unto him. I say not 4 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven 5 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: Matthew eighteen twenty one through twenty two. Dear Lord, there 6 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: is no limit to your love. There are no boundaries 7 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: to your mercy. Even though I was once your enemy, 8 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 1: you pursued me and forgave me. Even now I find 9 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: myself in awe of the forgiveness you give me. In 10 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: light of your unconditional love and unending forgiveness, I pray 11 00:00:55,960 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: that you would help me forgive others, expand the herasense 12 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: of my mercy, and empower me with grace. May my 13 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 1: heart grow larger with every moment I spend with you 14 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:16,199 Speaker 1: in Jesus's name. Amen, Thank you for joining me in prayer. 15 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: Stay tuned for today's free podcast Meditative Prayers with Zach Clinton, 16 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: where you can draw close to God and find strength 17 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: in him. 18 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 2: My friends, welcome to your meditative prayer on deep Forgiveness. 19 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:34,479 Speaker 2: To get the most out of your spiritual journey, uspray 20 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 2: dot com every day and make prayer a priority in 21 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 2: your life. Again, our goal for today's meditative prayer is 22 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,279 Speaker 2: all about deep forgiveness. So right now, in this moment, 23 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 2: I would encourage you to slow down and just take 24 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 2: a minute to center yourself. Maybe find a relaxed environment 25 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 2: that will allow you to ruminate and reflect. Now turn 26 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 2: that reflection toward God's word and allow your mind to 27 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 2: reach out to the presence of the Lord, and prepare 28 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 2: your heart to be filled with the Holy Spirit and 29 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 2: his teaching for you today. Remember today we'll be meditating 30 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,079 Speaker 2: on Matthew chapter eighteen, verses twenty one to twenty two 31 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 2: from the King James version. Then came Peter to him 32 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 2: and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me? 33 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 2: And I forgive him till seven times? Jesus saith unto him. 34 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,959 Speaker 2: I say, not unto thee until seven times, but until 35 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 2: seventy times seven, My friends, let your worship rise up 36 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 2: to God. 37 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:38,959 Speaker 1: God. 38 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 2: I praise you for your faithfulness. I adore you, for 39 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 2: your love is unending and unmeasurable. I praise you for 40 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 2: you are gracious and kind. I praise you for you 41 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 2: are gracious and kind. Your forgiveness is vast and inexhaustible. 42 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 2: I give you my adoration, for you have overcome aniquity 43 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 2: and conquered hate. Righteousness and truth are found only in you. 44 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 2: Forgiveness must be limitless. The only condition God placed upon 45 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 2: forgiveness is that it must be inexhaustible. You are to 46 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,799 Speaker 2: have mercy and to show grace repeatedly, no matter how 47 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 2: many times you are wronged, and regardless of how you 48 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 2: may feel. You are ordered to forgive. Even if those 49 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 2: who hurt you do not seek your forgiveness, forgive them anyway. 50 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 2: This divine directive may seem difficult, but it must be done. 51 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 2: You need to remember that God is not a cruel God. 52 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 2: God is kind. He has a purpose and a reason 53 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: behind this commandment, and that purpose is your well being. 54 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 2: Forgiveness is for your personal benefit. It has nothing to 55 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 2: do with others. It is internal and it is about 56 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 2: you and God. Withholding forgive, giveness is like drinking poison 57 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 2: and expecting another's death, completely absurd, utterly, pointless, and fatal 58 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 2: only to you. Holding onto offenses and nursing grudges will 59 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 2: bring you nothing but evil. Withholding forgiveness will allow bitterness 60 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 2: and hurt to grow roots within your soul. To suffocate 61 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 2: all manner of joy and stifle any hope for a future. 62 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 2: For your own sake, you must forgive. Pain and pride 63 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 2: will tell you it is impossible to let go to 64 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 2: forgive repeatedly, But this is a lie the devil uses 65 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 2: to keep you bound to sin and sorrow. So right 66 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 2: now think for a moment on what is preventing you 67 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 2: from forgiveness. Confess that weakness to the Holy Spirit, and 68 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 2: right now share with him your wounds and your weariness. 69 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 2: Now consider all the times God forgave you, and thank 70 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 2: him for it. Thank the Lord for his kindness and 71 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 2: long suffering to towards you. Thank God that his love 72 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 2: and his grace are limitless. Thank Him for not keeping 73 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 2: a record of your wrongdoing. Give thanks to God for 74 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 2: all the times in the past he made you righteous, 75 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 2: for forgiving all your sins, no matter how grievous or 76 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 2: heinous they may be. Thank Him that his compassion will 77 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 2: never change and he will never withhold it from you. 78 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,039 Speaker 2: My friends, never forget God is present and he is 79 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 2: listening to you. Come before him and ask him to 80 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 2: fill you with his love, to give you the ability 81 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 2: to have mercy and compassion. As he does Ask God 82 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 2: to remove your hurt and your hate. Reach out to 83 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 2: Him for healing and restoration. Ask Him to guard your 84 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 2: heart from pride and presumption. Ask the Holy Spirit to 85 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 2: empower you to overcome the evil done against you, to 86 00:05:56,240 --> 00:06:00,359 Speaker 2: rise above it and to live free from bitterness. And 87 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 2: ask the Holy Spirit to enable you to forgive those 88 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 2: who wrong you and to show grace toward the offenses 89 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 2: of others. Remember remember, God says you are to constantly 90 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 2: and ceaselessly forgive others, to show grace and compassion, regardless 91 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 2: of how repetitive the offenses may be. Take courage and 92 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 2: trust God's Holy Spirit will help you. Do not allow 93 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 2: yourself to grow weary of showing mercy, but pour it 94 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 2: out to others as God has poured it over you, 95 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 2: and let God's love and forgiveness flow constantly from you 96 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 2: to others. So choose to be God's living example of 97 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 2: grace in this world, this day and every day to come. 98 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 2: My friends, thank you for completing today's meditative prayer on 99 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 2: pray dot com. By incorporating this healthy habit as a 100 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 2: daily practice, I believe you're not only making prayer priority, 101 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 2: but you're also strengthening your walk with God. My name 102 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 2: is Zach Clinton, Vice President of the American Association of 103 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 2: Christian Counselors and we love being a part of your life. 104 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 2: Hey to find more help, hope, information and inspiration. I 105 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,479 Speaker 2: would also encourage you to go visit our website, which 106 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 2: can be found at AACC dot net. Again, that is 107 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 2: AACC dot net.