PreScriptures for Life

Fear: Protector and Tormentor

Fear is a natural God-given emotion to protect us from danger. When faced with danger, our immediate fear response alerts us to do something to protect our selves. It’s like the sounding of a fire alarm.

 

When Faced with Fear You May Feel These Discomforts:

• Rapid beating heart
• Sweating
• Trembling or shaking
• Shortness of breath or heavy breathing
• Sick feeling in the stomach

Our bodies weren’t designed to operate continuously in fear. The stress fear causes leads to chemical imbalances that lead to chronic disease. Uncomfortable feelings and symptoms of fear manifest when a person is under the stress of fear and worry. In more advanced stages, the condition can be present continuously.

 

Fear: Protector or Tormentor?

 

Here’s how you can distinguish the difference between the protection mechanism God created in us and the tormenting aspects of our emotions. When faced with a dangerous situation like a “scare” while driving on the freeway, the fear mechanism alerts us and prepares us within a fraction of a second to take immediate action or react in the situation. This is the protective side of fear.

 

By contrast, there are times when the discomfort of fear result when there is no imminent danger. It is not helpful to have this lingering emotion when there is no clear-cut action to get us out of our condition. This undefined fear is better known as anxiety. This is the tormenting side of fear.

 

While the world’s antidote to anxiety is pills, those with a little more insight realize that there are deeper causes. The symptoms of fear, anxiety, and panic attacks should be telling us to address underlying causes—not cover the symptoms with drugs.

 

Many people trying to be helpful will often relate the popular Christian verbiage, “Take it to the cross.” We hear this solution expressed many times but the vagueness of this statement leads many wondering, “How do I do that?”

 

Let’s remove the ambiguity about “taking our problems to the cross.” Paul writes in Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

 

The figurative phrase, “to nail an issue to the cross,” literally means to express it, to acknowledge it, and to agree to it. The single word that expresses this, by definition, is to “confess.”

 

The second part of the crucifying process is to kill it. How do we kill it? We don’t do it alone! The Holy Spirit completes the process. Galatians 5:24 explains how we obtain the Fruit of the Spirit. Our part of the process is to confess it and the Spirit’s responsibility is to kill it by removing the belief and replacing it with God’s truth.

 

This is still confusing until we consider Romans 12.2 which tells us that we will be transformed by the renewing of our mind. I am convinced that the renewing process is changing our old beliefs, which came from past experiences, to the standard of God’s truth so that we live aligned with His beliefs.

 

In the case of fear, confess it and ask Jesus to remove the fear from our mind. It amazingly will happen. See my blog entry Prayer to Get Free for more specific details on how to do this.

 

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Neil Elmer is author of the book PreScriptures for Life: A Believer's Guide to Praying Scripture. His ministry helps people achieve peace in life and be set free from the bondages of sin and oppression.

 

 

PreScriptures for Life

$15.95 Harvest Day Books

God’s Workmanship: You!

 

 

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works …

Ephesians 2:10a

 

Do you believe that you are God’s workmanship? Scripture says so! But before we gloss over the meaning of Ephesians 2, allow me to pose a couple facts and hard questions.

 

 

 

 

• If you truly believe you are His workmanship, then you will live this belief every day. Do you live like your life has value?

• What we believe, we live out. Do all of your decisions and actions reflect that you believe you are the workmanship of God?

• Your thoughts reflect what you believe. Do have thoughts that are self-deprecating?

If your decisions and actions don’t reflect the value God has placed on you as His workmanship, then you don’t firmly believe that you are His workmanship and that you are highly valued by God. In other words, if you have negative thoughts about yourself, you do not completely believe that you are God’s workmanship.

 

To know about God’s truth is not the same as believing His truth.

 

The great moral government of God teacher, Harry Conn, often said that the word “belief” is made up two Anglo-Saxon words meaning “to live in accordance with.” So to believe God’s words in the purest sense, we must live in accordance with them.

 

You likely have beliefs that are already established which are not in accordance with God’s truth. Our beliefs start formulating from the beginning of life and they develop through experience. Not all experience is Godly in nature. For example, rejection, abandonment, neglect, and similar issues lead to unhealthy beliefs of unworthiness, low self-esteem, or even self-hate.

 

Why do people still not believe they are valuable?

 

If this is you, your mind needs to be renewed by God’s truth. Be encouraged by this:

In Mark 9:24, the father of the child with the mute spirit says to Jesus; “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” You can ask Jesus today to help you with your unbelief in the case of unworthiness (or anything else).

 

First acknowledge your unbelief about being God’s workmanship. Then ask that this unbelief be removed from your life and be replaced with God’s truth. See this article Prayer to Get Free to accomplish this. PreScriptures for Life has hundreds of scriptures categorized by topics. It is a great resource for building your beliefs in God's truth.

 

Satan’s ability to deceive us and do damage to us is because of our unbelief. Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 that we will be transformed by the renewal of our minds. To live a victorious Christian life, our mind needs to be fortified with the beliefs of God’s Word and purged of the beliefs that lead us to deception.

 

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Neil Elmer is author of the book PreScriptures for Life: A Believer's Guide to Praying Scripture. His ministry helps people achieve peace in life and be set free from the bondages of sin and oppression.

 

 

PreScriptures for Life

$15.95 Harvest Day Books

Depression: God Has the Answer

Depression greatly reduces quality of life. It causes misery, contributes to addictions, and reduces our energy level. Beliefs about reality and hope for our life have more to do with why we are depressed than some may realize. God has the answer to help you get free of depression.

 

 

 

Consequences of Depression

 

Depression is characterized as a mood of sadness and irritability of greater intensity and duration than normal sadness and grief.  A depressed person will have negative thoughts and behaviors such as crying spells and physical symptoms that include body aches, low energy, eating, weight, and sleeping problems.

Depression frequently coincides with other illnesses such as: heart disease, stroke, cancer, arthritis, chronic lung disease and diabetes.

 

Neuropsychiatric illnesses such as depression are known to be associated with chemical imbalances. Although drug therapy is prescribed to correct the chemical imbalances, it shouldn’t be assumed that such therapy is treating the cause. Current research is finding that chemical imbalance is just another symptom. Prolonged use of psychiatric drugs may cause permanent brain damage.

 

Current research is finding that stress contributes to all sorts of disease including depression. For example, it has been found that a mother’s stress during pregnancy can increase the chances of child having depression as an adult. The environment and belief structure also play into this. Research has found that the stressful incidents in a person’s life are cumulative. The ACE Study which deals with adverse childhood experiences has found that stress affects later outcomes of physical and mental health.

 

Feelings of hopelessness within depressed people are very common. They feel their situation will not change and they feel helpless and powerless in the ability to control their life. A child certainly would feel that way if they were growing up in an adverse life situation. Yet many adults feel hopeless and powerless.

 

 

Symptoms of Depression

 

• Persistent sadness, anxiety, anger, irritability or empty mood
• Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
• Loss of interest in hobbies, activities, including sex
• Insomnia, early morning awakening or over sleeping
• Decreased appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and/or weight gain
• Decreased energy
• Crying spells
• Thought of death or suicide, suicide attempts
• Restlessness
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, and making decisions
• Poor school performance, persistent boredom, headaches and stomachaches
• Risk taking and less concern for safety

 

Causes of Depression

 

When we have been hurt in the past, we accumulate beliefs and feelings of anger about the people and situations that have hurt us. These beliefs will continue to affect our thinking and actions until they are renewed.

 

While fear, shame, guilt, frustration, and unworthiness may influence and support a state of depression, anger is probably the biggest contributor. Fear within our life will also make us feel hopeless, which contributes to depression.

 

These are causes which any sort of drug therapy cannot address.

 

 

God’s Answer to Depression

 

What we believe about our life will determine how we feel. In order to change how we feel, we must change what we believe.

 

The answer is to get rid of anger and frustration. This will change a person’s perspective about their feelings of hopelessness. The way to do this is to totally forgive all that you have anger toward—for all the things that have happened that have made you angry. My article Forgiveness: The Antidote for Anger and Pain provides specific detail on how to do this. As you go through this process, depression will begin to lift.

 

Anger is not the only contributor to depression even though getting free of anger will go a long way toward achieving freedom. Many people who are depressed also suffer from anxiety disorder which is fear and worry. Fear can lead to beliefs of hopelessness because it stops a person from accomplishing goals. As in anger, the solution to depression is getting free of fear, worry, and anxiety.

 

Low self image is another issue which affects depression. A person’s self image can be damaged from issues of abandonment, rejection, and failures of the past—all of which direct anger to someone, some thing, or one’s self. Low self image and other emotions such as shame and guilt need to be cleansed from our life.

 

The way to achieve freedom from depression, therefore, is to acknowledge your fears and other life-controlling beliefs to God and seek His renewing of your mind. You can utilize The Prayer to Get Free to accomplish this.

Truly, there are alternatives to psychiatric drugs which only treat the symptoms. God’s way is get to the root causes. When you invite God to deal with the heart of the issue, the symptoms of depression will go away.

 

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/psychiatric-drugs/antipsychotics/neuroleptic-brain-damage   

http://www.antipsychiatry.org/drugs.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/ace/index.htm

http://www.acestudy.org/

 

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Neil Elmer is author of the book PreScriptures for Life: A Believer's Guide to Praying Scripture. His ministry helps people achieve peace in life and be set free from the bondages of sin and oppression.

 

 

PreScriptures for Life

$15.95 Harvest Day Books

A Pick-Me-Up From Rejection

A Pick-Me-Up From Rejection
by Neil Elmer

We all have experienced rejection. From not being accepted for a job opening to being the last one picked for a team on the playground, from being overlooked for a promotion, to your opinions not being heard, rejection is prevalent in everyday life.

 

Rejection defeats our longing for acceptance. It deflates our need for love and belonging. The fear of rejection can stop us cold—preventing us from being confident and from asserting ourselves into endeavors that could greatly benefit and advance us.

 

In ministry, I enjoy helping people overcome feelings of uselessness, loneliness, and forsakenness which can come from the trauma of rejection. Past hurts truly can affect the quality of our lives today. I’m finding that there are truly a lot of people out there who are hurting.

 

I knew a person who had many good things going for them: an advanced degree, success in business, attractive physique, and they were very articulate. Most would admire these outward characteristics, yet the story was much different on the inside. This person suffered from rejection issues which caused much anxiety, fear, and internal turmoil. These feelings immobilized this person and kept them in pain and discomfort. Prescription medications sometimes helped with the symptoms of anxiety but never dealt with the root causes.

Children are especially susceptible to the hurt of rejection. When a person is told that they are stupid, a failure, or a mistake of a human being, they are being rejected. In these cases, their worth as an individual is being severely attacked. Children, young people, and many adults lack the experience or maturity to know that what someone says about them doesn’t have to define and establish their worth or value in the sight of God, their Creator. 

All people have been rejected for some things in their life. An emotionally healthy person can go through set-backs without it becoming a traumatic experience in their life. People need to understand that they aren’t going to be winners at everything all the time yet that they DO have intrinsic value all of the time.    

You know? Words are very hurtful things—so are broken promises. Rejections lead to mindsets or paradigms that are life-guiding. Destructive mindsets act as negative strongholds. Because rejection hurts, people develop defense mechanisms to avoid the pain.

In the long-run, this is not a peaceful or joyful way to live life. Scripture tells us that we are so loved by God that the Heavenly Father sent His only begotten Son into the world for us. His sacrifice is because He loves us; He gave Himself for us. In other words—we have value!

In PreScriptures for Life, I wrote a chapter on loneliness and feeling forsaken. I wrote another chapter on your value. These chapters can help you; here are some key verses I share from the Bible that speak to your value and the fact that you truly are never alone. God (and others that maybe you have yet to meet) really do care about you:

John 14:18
“I will not leave you desolate (alone, forsaken): I come unto (to help) you.

Deuteronomy 31:6b
“…he (God) it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Ephesians 2:10
“For we are his (God’s) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works …”

Galatians 2:20b
“…the Son of God, who loved me, and game himself up for me.”

 

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Neil Elmer is author of the book PreScriptures for Life: A Believer's Guide to Praying Scripture. His ministry helps people achieve peace in life and be set free from the bondages of sin and oppression.

 

 

PreScriptures for Life

$15.95 Harvest Day Books

Limitations to Healing

Limitations to Healing

 

Post-modern day beliefs which run contrary to the Gospel prevent people from receiving healing from God.

It’s difficult to imagine but it’s true that many who walk through the church doors each week believe that miracles ended in the first century--after the ministry of Jesus and his early disciples. That false doctrine is propagated by several--but not all--mainline denominations. If I may borrow a phrase from popular Bible teacher, Joyce Meyer, I’d have to say that this is “stinkin’ thinkin’.”

 

Others believe in God’s miracles but don’t understand that sin can limit healing and miracles. Another limiting factor is that some Christians assume that salvation takes care of all the issues and consequences they had prior to salvation.

 

So, if everything is taken care of at salvation, then why would Paul write in Romans 12:2 that “we will be transformed by the renewing of our mind”—a process more than a single event?

 

F. F. Bosworth, a powerful evangelist through whom God had bestowed a great number of healings during the course of his long ministry, certainly believed that sin restricted healing. Read several quotes from his book which was first printed in 1924:

 

 “Many people miss healing by trying to confine God to miracles.”

- F. F. Bosworth, Christ the Healer, pg. 95

 

“After we hear the Gospel, and know what it offers, Jesus says Repent and believe the Gospel. Only those who are right with God can follow these instructions. When seeking healing for our bodies there should be no compromise with the Adversary of our souls, because it is he who is the author of our diseases. Jesus may but He has not promised to, destroy the works of the devil in our bodies while we are clinging to the work of the devil in our souls. It is hard to exercise faith for the removal of one part of the devil’s work while we allow a worse part to remain. Until a man squarely faces and settles the question of obedience to God, he is not on believing ground. James says, confess your faults to one and another…that you may be healed. It is God’s will that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prosperth. If I regarded iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.”

- F. F. Bosworth, Christ the Healer, pg 85-86

 

There are specific diseases mentioned in the Bible that are the result of sin (disobedience to God’s Commands).

 

Deuteronomy 28:1 (NLT)  “If you fully obey the LORD your God by keeping all the commands I am giving you today, the LORD your God will exalt you above all the nations of the world.

Deuteronomy 28:15 (NLT) “But if you refuse to listen to the LORD your God and do not obey all the commands and laws I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you:

Deuteronomy 28:20 (NLT)  “The LORD himself will send against you curses, confusion, and disillusionment… ²² The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, fever, and inflammation…²⁷ “The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, scurvy, and the itch, from which you cannot be cured.
²⁸ The LORD will strike you with madness, blindness, and panic.

Very current medical science research also points to sin as being the culprit to much disease. It has been thought that our faulty genes that we inherit from mom and dad, was the cause of much disease. A new field of study, called epigenetic or epigenome is changing these long held thought that disease is largely controlled by an unchangeable gene code. Scientist has since discovered that our environment can change the expression of a gene leading to disease. In fact, it has been found that the altered gene can be inherited three to four generations. This idea is collaborated in Bible scripture. More on this in a moment—because the effects of a generation curse can be stopped and reversed!

The ACE Study (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/ace) found that adverse child experiences (ACE) leads to disease and negative social consequences mentally, emotionally, and socially. The memories of abuse, neglect, and abandonment don’t resolve themselves. These are devastating events which result in beliefs connected to emotions of anger, fear, shame, guilt, and other negative paradigms and emotions which reside in the memories.

While childhood experiences are more tragic, adult experiences can also cause great difficulty in a person’s life. Rejection and abandonment (including the death of a loved one) or traumatic experiences that result in post traumatic stress are examples.

Unforgiven anger and fear in these memories corrupt the thinking and paradigms of a person. The reason: what we believe is the substance of our thinking! What we believe directly affects how we react to our present situations.

Titus 1:15 (NLT) Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are defiled.

God’s command regarding anger, for example, is very clear. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:26: “… don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,” Anger is just one of the things that can corrupt the mind and defile the heart.

So, in receiving God’s healing, these three areas need to be examined:

1. Stinkin’ thinkin’
2. God’s requirements of transformation following salvation
3. Sin

Each of these roadblocks to healing can be removed as our mind is renewed in obedience to God’s Word. Briefly, here’s the way to do it:

1. Remove stinkin’ thinkin’ by getting your mind on God’s truth and deal with issues head on (such as anger, fear, unforgiveness, etc.). All the while, allow God to renew your mind with His Word—replacing our error with His truth.

2. Our point of salvation isn’t the end! But rather, our coming to Christ is the beginning of our new life where transformation and sanctification (cleansing) is ongoing. Old consequences and issues from our former life may still have a hold on us. So, it’s important to understand that transformation and freedom come both instantaneously and progressively as we surrender more of our life to Christ.

3. Regarding sin, when we come to Christ our past and present sin is taken away. Yet, as the Holy Spirit reveals specific sins, even from before our point of salvation, He is requiring our repentance to allow our heart and mind to be cleansed of all unrighteousness. It is not God’s will for us to remain in sin and disobedience to Him. If and when we sin after coming to Christ, we must still confess and repent of that sin for “God is faithful and just to forgive us of sin” according to James 1:9.

Now that these limitations to healing have been revealed and ways to overcome the roadblocks have been discussed, I encourage you to take action.

Many who go to church don’t want to acknowledge that unconfessed sin may be the reason for continued affliction. What happens next is people bypass their spiritual responsibilities. Instead they ask for prayer, get their name on the prayer list, request miracle healing, and pray that God will guide the doctors. While these are good things to do, they are not getting to the heart of the issue if we are ignoring the possibility that we may have unconfessed sin and disobedience to God.

A right relationship with God is the first key to eliminating roadblocks and limitations to healing. Check your spiritual pulse first and be open to God’s Word and guidance by the Holy Spirit.

 

Mark 4:22 “Everything that is now hidden or secret will eventually be brought to the light.”

 

 

Authors’ Note: Christ the Healer is still in circulation and on Kindle; I highly recommend the book to all who desire healing.

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Neil Elmer is author of the book PreScriptures for Life: A Believer's Guide to Praying Scripture. His ministry helps people achieve peace in life and be set free from the bondages of sin and oppression.

 

 

PreScriptures for Life

$15.95 Harvest Day Books

Prayer to Get Free

Prayer to Get Free

By Neil Elmer, Author of PreScriptures for Life

Part 1:  Forgiving (offender, self), Confessing and Repenting (sin, blaming God), or Renouncing (generational iniquity, curses, vows).

 

Pray this: 

To forgive an offender

In obedience to God, I choose to forgive _____ for this sin/offense of ______ done against me.  Lord, don’t charge ________ with this sin or offense.

(and/or)

To deal with our own issues  

In obedience to God, I choose to acknowledge to Jesus (confess) this sin of ____ which has control over my life and I commit to resisting (repent) this ____ in the future.

(and/or)

To deal with renouncing 

In obedience to God, I choose to renounce _____.

Part 2:  Canceling Satan’s Authority

 

Pray this:

In the name of Jesus and by the power of His Blood, I cancel Satan’s power and authority over me in this issue of __________.

Part 3:  Asking for Healing

 

Pray this:

Heal and soften my heart, Lord.

Part 4:  Renew my mind.

 

Pray this:

Renew my mind by freeing me from _____________ (shame, guilt, anger, rejection, bitterness, fear, or what is being presented in this memory). 

Part 5:  Listening or Talking with God (and by replacing the lies of Part 4 with God’s truth).

 

Pray this:

Bring me Your truth about this situation, Lord.  (The Holy Spirit talks to us in a quiet voice, dreams, visions, impressions, urgings; He removes pain and brings peace and comfort.)

 

Neil Elmer is author of the book PreScriptures for Life. His desire is to help people realize the peace and freedom which come from God through Jesus Christ.

The Destructive Nature of Anger

 

The Destructive Nature of Anger

by Neil Elmer, Healed Heart Ministry
www.HealedHeartMinistry.com

Anger destroys relationships and has significant consequences in a person’s mental, emotional, and physical health. Depending upon circumstances of the experience the emotion, anger, may manifest itself in varied intensity from simple frustration to full-blown rage. We use these words to describe anger at various levels of intensity: frustration, annoyance, bitterness, resentment, rage, retaliation, violence, murder, hate, temper tantrum, and more. Yet, even simple frustration over time can accumulate and lead to more intense emotion such as bitterness. A person with a temper (short fuse) is a person that has accumulated a lot of anger in their life. All have experienced anger, many times justifiably so. But if the anger persists, it will impact our life in a negative way.

Consequences of Anger

 

Angry children become rebellious:  Rebellious children are constantly at odds with parents, schools, and other authority figures. The conflicts with authority lead to outcomes that further infuriate the rebel which escalates the intensity of their anger and compounds life problems.

 

Angry people experience a lot of rejection and abandonment:  Anger may have started in childhood because of rejection and abandonment. Through life, the cycle continues as acquaintances and friends are repelled away by the anger and negativity. Broken friendships, wounded family relationships and loss of employment are consequences of anger.

 

Anger is linked to diseases:  Medical science research has linked anger to cancer, heart disease, strokes, and more. Anger is a major source of stress in people’s lives—stress is a major source of disease.

 

Anger is a source of mental health issues:  Anger is linked to depression. It is important to note that medical science has found that depression is often linked to heart disease.

 

Anger destroys a person’s sense of reality:  Some who have committed domestic battery have expressed that they blacked out from the anger and literally don’t remember committing the assault. Anger at any extreme can define who we are, and in some cases can lead to a life of delusion.

 

Anger leads to sin in God’s eyes:  It is God’s desire that our lives not have all of these consequences. While anger is a God-given emotion, we are not to commit sin in our anger and we are not to hold our anger into the next day.

 

Why People Become Angry People

 

When people hurt us, offend us, or stand in the way of our will and desires, we get angry. The experiences can represent real offences or we can perceive that we have been hurt. A child is not able to understand the broad view of events, so that this lack of perception opens up a child to more hurt than adults. But adults can be hurt also. These events are stored as memories. Many times these memories do not accurately represent the true nature of the event.

 

People readily accept the fact that our brains seek out and retrieve memories. For example, we know the answer is “4” when we see the math problem: “2 + 2.” Reciting a poem and recalling answers while in a spelling bee are similar examples. What we don’t readily perceive is that the brain retrieves many of life’s answers from memory. Regarding our emotions, we likewise don’t see our brain searching our memories for insight on how to respond when someone is rejecting us. Our past experiences guide us in the present even though, just like the math problem, we don’t perceive the process of recall. The emotion of anger and what we believe about rejection in the past events come forward to help us deal with the present situation. The potential problem is the belief and emotion of the past may not be helpful to us today.

 

Some childhood experiences that cause anger are as follows: physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; physical and emotional neglect; rejection, abandonment, traumatic experiences, and more.

 

The emotions of jealously and envy can develop anger when a person doesn’t get what they desire. Failures can also lead to anger developing and growing in a person. This anger might be directed outward or it could be internalized—blaming one’s self for the failures. Anger can also be learned through parents and previous generations. Usually, if a child grows up in an angry atmosphere, they will be angry also. See http://www.acestudy.org/ for more information on adverse childhood experiences.

 

Anger Management

 

Anger management is a program to help people cope with their anger. The intention primarily is to reduce aggressive actions such as domestic violence. Many people are required courts as a requirement of their sentence to take these classes. Anger management may reduce violence, but it doesn’t solve the underlying problem. Because the anger is still present in a person they will still suffer from the other consequences of anger. Violence may be a temporary emotional release for a person. When violence is managed, other negative forms of release may be sought out such as drugs or alcohol. The real solution is not anger “management” but is getting free of our anger.

 

Get Free of Your Anger

 

The bad news is anger accumulates as a person experiences the bumps of life. The good news is that the imbedded anger in a person’s life can be eliminated. Forgiveness is the antidote for anger. Two important elements of forgiveness are as follows:

 

First, forgiveness must be totally unconditional. This means that you cannot expect anything in return forgiveness whether it be an apology, justice, restoration, or anything else. The purpose of forgiveness is to get free of the anger. Any expectation of restoring the relationship will usually sabotage getting free of anger. Forgiveness which leads to freedom, cannot have strings attached. Ironically, after true forgiveness occurs, the possibility of restoration increases.

 

Second, forgiveness must be specific to the offense. This means that if an offender has done a whole list of things, we must specifically forgive the entire list of issues.

 

For more information on forgiveness see the article: “Forgiveness, the Antidote for Anger."

 

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Neil Elmer is author of the book PreScriptures for Life: A Believer's Guide to Praying Scripture. His ministry helps people achieve peace in life and be set free from the bondages of sin and oppression.

 

 

PreScriptures for Life

$15.95 Harvest Day Books