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EJOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL
June 16, 2026
Topic: Learning to Forgive Others
Opening Scriptures
Ephesians 4:31-32
“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Memory Verse
Colossians 3:13
“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
Praise and Worship
Sing songs about God’s mercy, grace, love, compassion, and forgiveness.
EJOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL: June 16, 2026 – Learning to Forgive Others
One of the most difficult lessons many believers have to learn is the lesson of forgiveness. It is easy to forgive people who make mistakes, but it becomes challenging when someone deeply hurts, disappoints, betrays, rejects, or wounds us. Human nature often desires revenge, bitterness, and retaliation towards others.
However, God’s way is different from man’s way. Many people do not realize that forgiveness attracts the blessings of God. Forgiveness can give way for the mercy of God. The Psalmist says, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Some people greet and relate with everyone else joyfully, but when it comes to a certain individual, their demeanour changes. That’s not the way of Christ. He calls us to love one another, forgive freely, and live peaceably with all men. Refuse to harbour grudges. As the Bible says, be quick to forgive, and quicker to pray for those who hate you, persecute, or spitefully use you (Matthew 5:44).
It’s the way to a life of health, wholeness and unending blessings. Being hurt by someone, particularly someone you love and trust, can cause anger, sadness and confusion. If you dwell too long on hurtful events or situations, you may end up holding a grudge and being filled with resentment and hostility. If you allow negative feelings to take over, you might find yourself overwhelmed by bitterness or a sense of injustice.
Some people are naturally more forgiving than others. But even those who tend to hold a grudge can learn to be more forgiving. Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” There is a connection between receiving mercy from God and extending mercy to others. When we choose forgiveness, we position ourselves to receive God’s forgiveness, favour, and blessings.
When we choose not to forgive others, this can create pride in our spirit and can cause destruction toward our faith. Unforgiveness may affect us more than the situation or person we decide not to forgive. The constant dwelling on these difficulties can build up in our minds and make us question God’s reasoning to forgive others. However, when we recognize that God made everyone equal we can learn to love one another and choose to forgive. Learning to forgive each other’s sins teaches us the importance of love and how God has given us this gift to share.
Let us look at more examples from the Word of God. King David had every right to kill King Saul. Saul was hunting him up and down, trying to kill him for no just cause. But David refused to touch him. He said, “The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:6, KJV). David left vengeance in God’s hands, and God Himself fought for David and brought him to the throne.
Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a decision of obedience. You do not wait until you feel like forgiving before you forgive. You forgive because the Word of God commands it, and your feelings will eventually align with your obedience. Joseph did not wait to feel warm toward his brothers who sold him into slavery before he forgave them.
He made a decision, rooted in his understanding of God’s sovereign purpose, and declared, “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves… for God did send me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5, KJV). That is the spirit every believer must carry: the ability to see beyond the offense to the hand of God working all things together for good.
God says you must forgive because He has forgiven you first. Think about it well. How many times have you offended God? How many times have you sinned and He still forgave you? If God can forgive you all your sins, who are you not to forgive your brother for one small offense?Jesus said something very serious. He said if you do not forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive you (Matthew 6:14-15, KJV). This is not a small statement.
This means your own forgiveness from God is connected to how you forgive other people. If you are praying every day and nothing is changing, check your heart. Maybe there is somebody you have not forgiven. The Bible says we should forgive quickly, so that Satan will not take advantage of us (2 Corinthians 2:11, KJV). This means when you refuse to forgive, you are opening a door for the devil.
He will use that bitterness to torment you. He will use it to bring sickness into life. He will use it to bring confusion in your home. He will use it to stop your breakthrough. The devil did not force you to hold the offense. You held it yourself. But he will use it against you, to deny of your freedom and blessing. Many people are waiting to feel like forgiving before they forgive. That is wrong.
Forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling. You will not feel like forgiving. The flesh will not agree. But you must decide in your heart, I forgive this person, whether I feel it or not. Your feelings will follow later. Joseph did not feel like forgiving his brothers who sold him into slavery. But he decided. He told them, do not be afraid, God used what you did for my good (Genesis 45:5, KJV).
Forgiveness does not mean what the person did was right. It does not mean you must go and stay with somebody who is still hurting you. It does not mean you forget everything. Forgiveness means you release the offense from your heart so it will not control you again. You can forgive somebody and still be wise around them.
Sit down quietly. Call the name of the person in your heart before God. Say it out, Lord, I forgive this person for what they did to me. Ask God to bless your heart with His love. Pray for that person, even if it is hard. The Bible says pray for those who hurt you. As you keep doing this, the pain inside you will start reducing small small, until one day you will realise the load is no longer there.
Many people are asking God for new blessings while still carrying old wounds. God wants to heal your heart as much as He wants to bless your hands. Some people are waiting for an apology before they forgive. The truth is that not everyone who hurts you will apologize. Some may never admit their wrongdoing. If your forgiveness depends on their apology, you may remain in bondage for years.
Forgiveness is not based on what the other person does. Forgiveness is based on your decision to obey God. When you forgive, you are not saying the offense was acceptable. You are simply refusing to allow the offense to control your future. There are people whose destinies have been delayed because of bitterness. They carry anger from one year to another, from one relationship to another, and from one season of life to another.
Unforgiveness locks the door of freedom but forgiveness opens the door to healing. Many people think they are punishing those who hurt them by holding grudges. In reality, they are often hurting themselves more than the offender. Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting another person to suffer from it.
When bitterness enters the heart, it affects a person’s peace, joy, relationships, and spiritual life. Some people cannot pray effectively because they are still carrying someone’s offenses from years ago. Others struggle to experience God’s peace because their hearts are filled with resentment. Jesus understood the importance of forgiveness.
Even while hanging on the cross and suffering intense pain, He prayed: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). If Jesus could forgive those who crucified Him, then believers must also learn to forgive those who offend them. When you refuse to forgive, you are not only affecting yourself; you may also be hindering what God wants to do in your life.
There are people whose prayers could have been answered if forgiveness had been extended to the affected person. There are families that could have been reunited through forgiveness. There are friendships that could have been healed through forgiveness. Sometimes the breakthrough you are praying for is waiting on the other side of forgiveness.
Sometimes the healing you desire begins when you let go of the offense. Sometimes the blessing God wants to release into your life is connected to your willingness to forgive others. There are times when God allows us to experience hurt so that we can learn the same mercy He has shown us. Every one of us has received forgiveness from God.
Every one of us has made mistakes in life. Every one of us has needed grace at some point. When we remember how patient God has been with us, it becomes easier to extend grace to others. There are believers whose prayers have become hindered because their hearts are full of resentment against someone. Every time they pray, the memory of the offense rises.
Every time they worship, or pray for someone, bitterness speaks louder than love. God wants to heal those wounds in our heart. But the devil wants you to keep looking backward on the offenses, but God wants you to forgive and move on. The devil wants you to remain chained to yesterday’s pain, but God wants you to embrace tomorrow’s blessings.
When you forgive somebody from your heart, something changes inside you. The heaviness will lift. You will sleep better. Your prayers will start moving faster, because the blockage to your prayer is gone. Many people testify that after they forgave the person that hurt them, their health improved, their marriage improved, their business started moving again.
It is simply that the door they had opened to the enemy through bitterness has now been shut. Beloved, do not underestimate what unforgiveness can do to your body and your spirit. Doctors today are saying that bitterness and anger can cause high blood pressure, ulcer, and many other sicknesses. So when you carry unforgiveness, you are not just hurting your spirit, you are hurting your body too.
God did not design your body to carry that kind of weight. Some people will ask me, pastor, what if the person has not even apologized? What if they do not even know they hurt me? My brother, my sister, forgiveness is not about the other person. It is about you. You are not forgiving them because they deserve it. You are forgiving them because you want to be free.
Jesus forgave the people that crucified Him while they were still mocking Him on the cross. He said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34, KJV). They never apologized to Him, but He still forgave them. So do not wait for an apology before you forgive that person. If the apology comes, fine. If it does not come, you have still done your part, and God will reward your obedience.
Forgiveness is not always easy, but it is always worth it. The person who forgives sleeps better. The person who forgives enjoys greater peace. The person who forgives experiences emotional freedom. The person who forgives creates room for God’s healing power to work in their heart. Please do not allow one offense to poison years of your future.
But beloved, the same grace that helped Joseph forgive his own brothers, the ones who sold him into slavery and lied to their father that he was dead, that same grace is available to you. Joseph did not just forgive them with mouth, he wept on their neck, he comforted them, he provided for them in the years of famine (Genesis 45:14-15, Genesis 50:21, KJV). True forgiveness will move you from just tolerating somebody to actually loving and helping them again.
Many people’s destiny is tied to one offense they refused to release. Maybe it is something your father did. Maybe it is something your pastor did. Maybe it is something your spouse did. That offense has become a chain holding you down. You keep praying for breakthrough, but the chain is still there. Today, by the power in the blood of Jesus, that chain is broken. Forgive, and watch your destiny move forward again.
Do not allow the mistake of one person to make you bitter toward everyone. Remember, forgiveness does not erase the memory overnight, but it removes the poison from the memory. It does not always change the offender, but it changes the condition of your heart. When you learn to forgive, you position yourself for greater peace, greater healing, and greater freedom.
My brother, my sister, after you forgive somebody, the matter may try to come back to your mind again. The devil will try bring the memory back. He will whisper the offence of the person to you, remember what the person did to you, remember how they embarrassed or betrayed you, remember how they almost destroyed your life. When this happens, do not panic. It does not mean you have not forgiven.
It only means the enemy is testing the ground to see if you will pick up the offense again. The moment that memory comes, just say, Lord, I have already forgiven that person, I will not pick this matter up again, in Jesus name. Keep saying it until the thought loses its power over you.
Many times, the hardest people to forgive are the people closest to us – a father who abandoned his responsibility, a mother who favoured another child, a husband or wife who betrayed trust, a brother or sister who deceived us. Family offenses cut deeper because we did not expect it from them.
As parents, one of the greatest gifts you can give your children is to teach them how to forgive from a young age. Children naturally hold grudges over small things against their siblings or family members. If you train them early to release offenses quickly, you are saving them from years of carrying bitterness into adulthood. Model it for them.
Let them see you forgive that person, forgive a neighbour, forgive a relative, forgive your sister, brother and the person that stops visiting you. Children learn more from what they see than what they are told. It is better you told your children what they did, and if they are well trained, they will ask you to forgive the person and move on.
As a child of God, people will surely offend you, but as often as they do, be ready to forgive them. The Lord says in Matthew 18:21-22 that even when someone offends you four hundred and ninety times, you must keep on forgiving them. If you keep praising God, anytime the devil hits you, he will leave you; the same goes for forgiving someone who offends you.
He will not stay long. Unforgiveness will hinder your prayers to God. He will not also erase your sins until you forgive those who offend you, according to the memory verse. Release everyone you have imprisoned inside your heart and forgive them of all their wrongs.
Beloved, when you truly repent of your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you (1 John 1:9). True repentance is when a fellow stops engaging in sinful acts after God forgives him or her. God’s mercy is truly without limits; however, His forgiving nature should birth a changed heart in you.
Prophetic Declaration
I decree that every chain of bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness holding you captive is broken today. May the Lord heal every hidden wound and restore your peace. The grace to forgive and move forward is released upon your life. You shall not remain trapped by your past hurt, in Jesus’ mighty name.
Personal Challenge
This week, ask God to reveal any hidden bitterness in your heart. If there is someone you have struggled to forgive, pray for that person and consciously release the offense into God’s hands. Refuse to rehearse the hurt, and choose to walk in the freedom that forgiveness brings.
Evangelism Challenge
Share the message of God’s forgiveness with someone today. Remind them that no sin is too great for God’s mercy and that forgiveness through Jesus Christ is available to all who repent and believe.
Daily Reflection
Ask yourself:
Wisdom for Today
Forgiveness does not change the past, but it can change your future.
Bible in One Year
1 Kings 21–22
Acts 11
Prayer Assignment (Morning)
1. Father, thank You for forgiving my sins and showing me mercy when I did not deserve it, in Jesus’ name.
2. O Lord, give me the grace to forgive everyone who has hurt, disappointed, betrayed, or offended me, in Jesus’ name.
3. Every root of bitterness growing in my heart, be uprooted by fire, in Jesus’ name.
4. Father, heal every emotional wound that is making it difficult for me to forgive others, in Jesus’ name.
5. Every spirit of resentment, hatred, and unforgiveness operating in my life, come out and die, in Jesus’ name.
6. O Lord, remove every painful memory that the enemy keeps using against my peace, in Jesus’ name.
7. Father, help me to release every offense into Your hands and trust You for justice, in Jesus’ name.
8. Every blessing being hindered because of unforgiveness, be released into my life by mercy, in Jesus’ name.
9. O God, break every chain of bitterness linking me to past hurts and disappointments, in Jesus’ name.
10. Father, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me, in Jesus’ name.
11. Every spirit of revenge and retaliation, lose your hold over my life, in Jesus’ name.
12. O Lord, let the love of Christ fill my heart and overflow to those around me, in Jesus’ name.
13. Father, help me to forgive quickly and completely whenever I am offended, in Jesus’ name.
14. Every voice encouraging me to hold grudges and remain bitter, be silenced by the blood of Jesus, in Jesus’ name.
15. O Lord, teach me to see people through Your eyes of mercy and compassion, in Jesus’ name.
16. Father, let every broken relationship that is according to Your will receive healing and restoration, in Jesus’ name.
17. Every poison of unforgiveness affecting my spiritual life, be flushed out by the blood of Jesus, in Jesus’ name.
18. O God, deliver me from the prison of past hurts and painful experiences, in Jesus’ name.
19. Father, let my prayers not be hindered by bitterness, anger, or resentment, in Jesus’ name.
20. Every door that unforgiveness has closed against my blessings, be opened by the mercy of God, in Jesus’ name.
21. Father, let my heart remain tender and receptive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name.
22. Father, let the character of Christ be formed in me through humility, love, and forgiveness, in Jesus’ name.
23. Father, do not allow the mistakes of others to destroy my joy and peace, in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Assignment (Night)
1. O Lord, give me the humility to seek peace and reconciliation where necessary, in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, let every hidden anger in my heart be exposed and removed by the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name.
3. Every satanic agenda to keep me trapped in yesterday’s pain, be destroyed by fire, in Jesus’ name.
4. O Lord, fill my heart with peace, joy, and freedom as I choose to forgive others, in Jesus’ name.
5. Father, let the grace of forgiveness become evident in my words, actions, and attitude, in Jesus’ name.
6. Every curse of bitterness and strife operating in my family line, break by fire, in Jesus’ name.
7. O God, help me to remember how much You have forgiven me whenever I struggle to forgive others, in Jesus’ name.
8. Father, let forgiveness open new doors of favour, healing, restoration, and breakthrough in my life, in Jesus’ name.
9. Every blessing attached to obedience in the area of forgiveness, locate me by fire, in Jesus’ name.
10. O Lord, make me a vessel of love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness all the days of my life, in Jesus’ mighty name.
11. Father, deliver me from every spirit that makes it difficult for me to let go of offenses, in Jesus’ name.
12. Every wound in my heart caused by betrayal, rejection, and disappointment, receive divine healing, in Jesus’ name.
13. Father, help me not to repay evil for evil, but to overcome evil with good, in Jesus’ name.
14. Every spirit of hatred and unforgiveness fighting against my spiritual growth, die by fire, in Jesus’ name.
15. O Lord, let Your mercy speak louder than every offense committed against me, in Jesus’ name.
16. Father, give me the strength to forgive even when the pain is deep, in Jesus’ name.
17. Every power using past hurts to keep me in bondage, lose your hold over my life, in Jesus’ name.
18. O God, help me to release every offender into Your hands and stop carrying unnecessary burdens, in Jesus’ name.
19. Father, let every blessing delayed by bitterness and unforgiveness be released into my life, in Jesus’ name.
20. Every arrow of offense fired into my heart, be removed by the blood of Jesus, in Jesus’ name.
21. O Lord, teach me to forgive as freely as You have forgiven me, in Jesus’ name.
22. Every spirit of pride preventing me from forgiving others, be broken by fire, in Jesus’ name.
23. O Lord, make me a peacemaker wherever You place me, in Jesus’ name.
African Proverb
“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot easily harm you.”
Closing Reflection
Ask God to give you a heart that forgives quickly, loves deeply, and trusts Him completely. The people who hurt you may never understand your pain, but God understands every tear, every disappointment, and every wound. Allow Him to heal your heart and restore your joy.
ALTAR CALL: If you want to give your life to Christ; you want your sins forgiven; you want to become a child of God; you want to experience the realities of new birth; you want to make heaven; Or you were once saved and fell along the line, and now you want to rededicate your life to Christ… Then pray this short prayer of Faith Say it loud and mean it:
Lord Jesus, I surrender my life to you today. Forgive me my sins, wash me with your blood. I believe you died for me, on the third day you rose again that I may be justified. Right now, I believe that my sins are forgiven; I’m justified by your blood; I’m born-again; I’m saved; I’m a child of God; I’m free from the power of sin to serve the living God. Thank you Jesus for receiving me; thank you Jesus for restoring me; thank you Jesus for saving me
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