Reduce Your Stress by Praying the Lord’s PrayerSample

Matthew 6:9-13 “This, then, is how you should pray; Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”

Choose Forgiveness to Experience Peace

I will never forget speaking at a women’s retreat many years ago. My last message was on the urgency of forgiving those who have wounded us. After I spoke, there was weeping and wailing from a woman in the room. As I asked the Holy Spirit what to do, the woman ran outside, vomited, and came back in peacefully. Later she told me, “The bitterness has made me sick for years. Doctors haven’t been able to figure out what’s wrong with me. Tonight, I decided to forgive once and for all. I am now at complete peace.”

Make no mistake; if anything increases our stress levels and creates unhealthiness it’s bitterness. When you hold on to an offense, it takes up too much room in your thinking. You engage in mental arguments and might obsess about getting even. As a result, your blood pressure rises, and your stress levels skyrocket. Living a life that continually lets go of hurt is the key to finding peace.

Jesus taught us to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). If you don’t forgive others, you cannot enjoy God’s forgiveness in your own life. As a result, you will live life in a constant state of stress and angst.

Forgiveness invites us to let go and no longer dwell on the hurt done to us. It doesn’t exonerate your offender, nor does it set them free. It sets you free. When you choose to pray, “God, I will forgive. Help me to let go of this offense”, He is more than ready to answer. The question is, are you ready to agree to forgive?

Pause and Reflect: If you’re having trouble letting go of an offense, pause and consider how it is helping you to hang on to your hurt. How has rehearsing your hurt added to your stress levels rather than diminishing them?

Pray: Lord Jesus, thank you for inviting me to forgive others as you have forgiven me. I confess that I have held on to bitterness for _________________________(name the hurt you’ve experienced). I ask you to show me what it looks like to let go and trust You will do justice. I now pray blessing over the person that hurt me, trusting You to heal my heart.

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