Praying for our kids: Forgiveness

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” — Oscar Wilde 

Clearly this isn’t good doctrine, but it’s pretty funny and also relatable. 

This week we’re praying for our kids to be quick to forgive others because that’s a central message of the gospel. We’ve been forgiven over and over by the Lord so we’re commanded to forgive others in order to stay in step with the Lord and not harbor bitterness. 

As we consider forgiveness we will look at the life of Joseph who gives the ultimate perspective on forgiveness in Genesis 50:20: “You intended to harm me but God intended it all for good.” He trusted God’s authority over all places in his life (even the very hardest) which allowed him to freely and lovingly forgive those who hurt him most. 

Take a few minutes today to pray forgiveness over your kids and consider the deeper questions of why we forgive, how we forgive, and how do we point our kids towards the freedom that comes from the hard places of forgiveness.