Forgiving Grace

This was the prayer of the Apostle Paul for a church that was filled with problems: immorality, jealousy, division, pride, and more. How could he thank God for people like this? Because, even with their weaknesses, they were people who had received the grace of God. They belonged to the Lord. Therefore God had great plans for them and had paid a great price for them. That’s the reason Paul valued them…in spite of their behavior. And that’s what we should do with all those who are Christians who disappoint us or even damage us. May we learn this secret of patient, forgiving grace toward others.

Lord, help us to practice this amazing sort of grace when we think of those in the Body of Christ who have disappointed us or even harmed us. Let us pray for their growth in Christ even as we remember that they are beloved in Christ. Help our hearts heal, and for those we pray for to become more like Jesus. In Your forgiving Name, Amen.