Prayer Tip--Forgiving Families
Daily Scripture
Genesis 50:15-21(CEB)
When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father was now dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us, and wants to pay us back seriously for all of the terrible things we did to him?” So they approached Joseph and said, “Your father gave orders before he died, telling us, ‘This is what you should say to Joseph. “Please, forgive your brothers’ sins and misdeeds, for they did terrible things to you. Now, please forgive the sins of the servants of your father’s God.”’” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
His brothers wept too, fell down in front of him, and said, “We’re here as your slaves.”
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I God? You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people, just as he’s doing today. Now, don’t be afraid. I will take care of you and your children.”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Forgiveness is hard—difficult to extend to others and even more challenging to accept for myself. When I withhold forgiveness from others, that reluctance gradually transforms into bitterness—a heaviness that affects me far more than those who hurt me. It takes root and spreads through my heart, relationships, and outlook. Yet I’ve discovered an even greater challenge: forgiving myself. When I refuse to forgive my own failures and struggle to embrace the mercy God offers, I don’t develop bitterness but something equally destructive—shame. This shame becomes a burden I was never meant to carry.
When I forgive, I still acknowledge the reality of what happened—I remember even as I choose to forgive. But God’s forgiveness works differently. When God forgives, he chooses not to remember my sins. This perfect model of complete forgiveness reminds me that though my memories remain, I can still choose to release the hold that past wounds have over me. With God’s help, I find a path forward not by forgetting, but by refusing to let remembered pain determine my future. True healing begins when I let go of both bitterness and shame, finding the freedom that comes from forgiveness, both given and received.
I invite you to pray this prayer with me as we learn to embrace the freedom of forgiveness together:
Prayer
Dear Father,
I come before you with a heart that feels the weight of unforgiveness. The bitterness I’ve carried—sometimes for years—has become familiar, almost comfortable in its heaviness. I confess that I’ve often convinced myself that holding onto hurt somehow protects me, when in truth, it has only built walls around my heart. The faces and names of those who have wounded me come to mind now, and I struggle to release them into your hands. This resistance feels like letting go of something I’m owed, something that’s rightfully mine.
Even harder, Lord, is facing the shame I’ve wrapped around myself. The standards I cannot meet, the failures I replay endlessly, the grace I extend to others but withhold from myself. I have denied myself the very forgiveness you freely offer, choosing instead to remain my own harshest judge. This shame has become a prison of my own making.
God who forgets what I cannot, teach me the courage to forgive as you forgive. When my memory replays old wounds and my heart tightens in resistance, grant me the strength to choose differently. Not to pretend the hurt never happened, but to refuse its power to shape my future. In moments when forgiveness feels impossible, remind me that I do not walk this path by my strength alone.
Break open the hardened places in me that prefer bitterness to healing. Unravel the knots of shame that tell me I am defined by my worst moments. When I cannot imagine releasing my grip on past hurts, show me again what true forgiveness looks like—not in platitudes or easy answers, but in the radical, disruptive grace that you have shown me countless times.
I ask not for feelings of forgiveness, but for the will to forgive when feelings fail. I ask not for the ability to forget, but for the wisdom to remember differently. And in those painful spaces where I find myself unable to forgive—either others or myself—I ask not for guilt, but for your gentle persistence that leads me, step by difficult step, toward the freedom of forgiveness.
With a heart open to forgiveness and healing, Amen.
GPS Insights
Mindy LaHood
This week's prayer tip is by Mindy LaHood, who serves as Worship Communications and Design Manager. Mindy blends her passion for writing with crafting clear and engaging content across various platforms. Her calling as a writer shapes her approach to creating meaningful connections through visual design and thoughtful communication strategies.
