The Power Of Forgiveness (Part 3)

“But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.” Genesis 33:4 

In Matthew 18:18, Jesus tells us, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.” That means when you bind someone up in unforgiveness, you bind up your prayers in Heaven. When you loose somebody on Earth, your miracle gets loosed in Heaven. So, if you harbor unforgiveness on anybody, your prayers are bound up! 

In Mark 11:25, Jesus told the people, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Basically, He was saying that if you and your spouse are angry and bitter with each other, you need to stop and seek reconciliation, or your prayers will be hindered. 

Satan is known as the accuser of the brethren. So, if you are holding something against someone and refusing to let it go, you are doing Satan’s job for him. The greatest threat to Satan’s domain is unity in the church and in the family. Jesus gave His power and authority to be used “where two or three can agree.” 

Jacob and Esau were two brothers who were in a conflict. But one day, Jacob decided to come back home. In Genesis 33, the Bible says that Jacob tried to make things right by sending lavish gifts to his brother, but that didn’t help. But then he saw his brother face to face, and he bowed seven times and began weeping. An atmosphere of peace was released, and Esau got off his horse and embraced him. Suddenly, the bitterness and the fighting that had gone on for years came to an end. 

You may be in a similar place with a family member and think that things can never be the same. It is noteworthy that before Jacob decided to face his brother, he spent the night in prayer. He wrestled with his feelings and poured his fears out to God, and when the time came, he did the right thing. Spend some time in prayer, and you will even surprise yourself with what you are capable of.

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