Satan does his level best to trick us into living with the spiritual cancer of unforgiveness because he KNOWS its destructive force in clogging up our supply lines from Father God.
Consider this well: Jesus put forgiveness as THE SOLID FOUNDATION (absolute prerequisite) for asking and receiving anything from God? (Mark 11:22-26)
So if you may have a stack of prayers that seem to have gone unanswered, I encourage you to ask and allow the Holy Spirit to take you on a 'tour d'horizon' of things you may have buried deep in your spirit -- hurts and wounds that could trigger deep seated unforgiveness.
Even medical science is concluding that just about all dis-eases have their roots, not in physical things, but in non-physical (spiritual) things. It is these things that impact the quantity, quality and flow of oxygen in our blood stream. The life of our bodies is in the blood, and the life of the blood is the level of oxygen therein. The first physical sign of dis-ease is the reduction and eventual cessation of oxygen to certain stressed cells. Unless this condition is reversed, it is down hill from there. Oxygen supply....think of it. To this, add the damaging effects of bathing our bodies in a steady flow of stress hormones, released by parts of the brain, under direction of the amygdala, in response to any perception of "Danger, Danger!", be it real or otherwise! The unseen and unbelieved link is between (a) spiritual hurts, wounds and their related unforgiveness, (b) oxygen supply to stressed cells, and (c) stress hormones that weaken our immune systems. Prayer and forgiveness, on the other hand, release healing relaxation hormones and likely stimulates easier, more healthful breathing. This is all definitely worth pondering and praying about.
It is possible to learn to forgive even when "feelings" of forgiveness are not present. How? Just like Nike says, "Just DO IT!" Do it BY FAITH, saying out loud as often as you remember the offense, "I forgive _____ for _____". Why not join me in practicing this approach? Our tongue is our greatest forgiveness tool. Imagine that.
Got sickness and disease?
Once forgiveness is on track, the next step is to rebuild our inner image of ourselves, not as sickly, but as God's Word paints His picture and video of us -- healed, healthy and wholesome in Christ. Whichever picture we have of ourselves in our spirit (sickly or healed/healthy by Jesus' stripes), will impact our outer man ... eventually. You see, the picture we hold of ourselves inside is our true BELIEVED REALITY, and it will eventually shape our physical moment-to-moment ACTUALITY. This inner picture is shaped and colored by whatever we think on the majority of our mental time -- whatever covers most of our 'mental landscape'. Whatever we focus on mentally, we MAGNIFY. And whatever we magnify mentally eventually seeps down and waters whatever 'belief seeds' we have planted in our spirits. The fruit (experiences) of our life comes from seeds sown, watered and nurtured in our spirits; and the sowing, watering and nurturing process begins in our minds, and is fed by what we look at, hear and speak about most often. THIS is why the pre-incarnate Jesus commanded Joshua to "...Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:7-8)
While this insight is not new to us Christ-believers, perhaps a helpful, timely reminder may be exactly what we need ... at this very moment.
Rich blessings!
Rich blessings!
