Forgiveness is power over yesterday, and hope is victory over tomorrow. Through these two powers, we exercise our emotional and behavioral management of the past and future.
Forgiveness is not memory loss but it is memory without vengeance. When Peter asked Jesus about forgiveness, Jesus made it clear that it should be done as often as God forgives us, which is continually. The Bible says, “Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matt. 18:21-22)
Hope is not empty optimism but it is actualized faith. Hope can be found in God’s promises to us. The Bible says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb. 11:1)
Prayer is guidance for today. It reveals our concepts of God. The nature and content of our requests and even the vocalization of our prayers express our fundamental picture of God at work. God will not answer prayers requesting Him to do again what is finished. Likewise, asking for more power and anointing are unanswered requests since they are given to us in the baptism of the Spirit. A request for God to perform a task that we have been empowered will not be answered. Prayer is a dialogue and not a monologue. So when we pray, we should listen more than we speak.
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