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March 25, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n How Is Forgiveness Even Possible?<\/strong><\/span> Lee en espa\u00f1ol<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God\u2019s grace that he lavished on us.\u201d Ephesians 1:7-8a (NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n Editor\u2019s Note:<\/em><\/strong> Don\u2019t skip a single day this week. From March 23-27, each devotion includes a never-before-seen excerpt from Lysa TerKeurst\u2019s first prayer book,\u00a0<\/em>Come Close to Jesus. Trust us \u2014 you\u2019ll want to read every one.<\/em><\/p>\n I wanted to obey God. But forgiveness felt so incredibly impossible with some people who had altered the course of my life with their actions. The unchangeable felt unforgivable. There were so many betrayals, and many of the people who hurt me never owned up to what they did or apologized. I didn\u2019t know how forgiveness could be possible when my feelings wouldn\u2019t sign on to this process.<\/p>\n Unforgiveness sometimes felt like the best way to protect my heart from getting hurt again. But resentment and bitterness were turning me into someone I didn\u2019t want to be.<\/p>\n Unforgiveness never leads to peace. I knew the only way to get to peace was to do what Jesus wanted me to do \u2014 forgive. Forgiveness is God\u2019s prescription to heal the hurting human heart.<\/p>\n I knew I would need Jesus to help me. That\u2019s why I focused on what Jesus did on the cross and incorporated that into the forgiveness process. The cross was the most holy act of forgiveness that ever took place. His blood shed for our sins was the redemptive ingredient that accomplished a forgiveness we never could have obtained or earned for ourselves:<\/p>\n \u201cIn him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God\u2019s grace that he lavished on us\u201d<\/em> (Ephesians 1:7-8a).<\/p>\n My counselor, Jim Cress, taught me a Christ-centered method of dealing with forgiveness. He handed me a stack of 3-by-5-inch cards and told me to write on each card an action someone did that caused me pain. I placed many cards all over the floor. Then Jim instructed me to say this over each card:<\/p>\n \u201cOut of obedience to God, I forgive ________ for _________. And whatever my feelings don\u2019t yet allow for, the blood of Jesus will surely cover it.\u201d<\/p>\n Then he handed me a stack of red felt squares, each slightly larger than a card. He instructed me to seal each forgiveness declaration by placing a piece of red felt over the card, symbolizing the blood of Jesus and His sacrifice. I realized cooperating with Jesus was the only way I could forgive.<\/p>\n What a relief to know that forgiving others doesn\u2019t depend on us. We don\u2019t have to try to feel our way to forgiveness. We need to bring our willingness to forgive, but we don’t have to have fully restored feelings.<\/p>\n Forgiveness is both a decision and a process. It starts with the decision to forgive the facts of what happened. That\u2019s what I did that day with the cards. Now I have a marked moment to think back on and know with certainty that I was obedient to God.<\/p>\n You can do the same. And when those bitter feelings return? Or when you get triggered by hurts from the past? You aren\u2019t a forgiveness failure. That\u2019s just evidence that you now must also walk through the process of forgiveness for the impact of what this hurtful situation has cost you. Take the time you need to process this and work through it. And then use the same script to forgive how you\u2019ve been impacted by what happened.<\/p>\n Remember: You deserve to stop suffering because of what someone else did to you. Forgiveness is how we find peace in the middle of hurt and betrayal.<\/p>\n My Savior, thank You for the sacrifice of Your death on the cross and Your resurrection. Because of this, I don\u2019t have to feel my way to forgiveness. I want to obey You. It\u2019s not easy, but I know You want me to forgive. This is the way I heal and find peace. I place this person who hurt me into Your hands, and I trust that You will address this in Your way and in Your timing. You will handle this with equal measures of grace and justice. Therefore, I am safe to release all my hurt and pain. I release my need to see this person punished. I release my need for an apology. I release my need for this to feel fair. I release my need for You to declare I\u2019m right and they\u2019re wrong. And when feelings of unforgiveness arise, I will forgive the impact this has had on me. Thank You for Your love, forgiveness, and peace. In Jesus\u2019 Name, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n P.S.<\/strong> Mark your calendar for Holy Week (March 29-April 5). For eight days, we\u2019ll pause together to steady our hearts in the finished work of Jesus \u2014 one scripture and one quiet reminder at a time.<\/p>\n Sometimes the hardest part of prayer isn\u2019t starting \u2014 it\u2019s believing it makes a difference. You pray for your kids. Your marriage. The situation you can\u2019t fix. And somewhere along the way, you quietly wonder if God is really listening. That same doubt is what brings so many women to the Proverbs 31 Ministries prayer wall \u2014 not because they\u2019ve stopped believing but because they need reassurance that their prayers still matter. When you give today, you help meet that doubt with biblical Truth, reminding each woman that prayer doesn\u2019t have to be polished or perfect to be powerful. That\u2019s also why Lysa TerKeurst wrote Come Close to Jesus<\/em> \u2014 to give women Scripture-shaped prayers that steady the heart and rebuild confidence when words feel hard to find. Your generosity places that encouragement into more hands, and as a thank-you for partnering with us, you\u2019ll receive your own copy of the book too. Give today and help another woman pray with confidence again.<\/strong><\/p>\n Find everyday encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram.<\/p>\n Colossians 3:13, \u201cBear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you\u201d (NIV).<\/p>\n Do you feel the tug of unforgiveness in your heart? Try doing the same exercise Lysa\u2019s counselor had her do. Whether there is one offense or many, don\u2019t let unforgiveness live in your heart.<\/p>\n 1. On each card, write one action someone did that caused you pain. Repeat the exercise when you\u2019re triggered by the thoughts of the impact of those hurts.<\/p>\n In the comments, we\u2019d love to hear how this devotion spoke to you.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n Proverbs 31 Ministries
LYSA TERKEURST <\/span><\/p>\nOUR FAVORITE THINGS<\/h4>\n
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2. Say, \u201cOut of obedience to God, I forgive _________ for ____________. And whatever my feelings don\u2019t yet allow for, the blood of Jesus will surely cover it.\u201d
3. Then seal each card by covering it with a piece of red felt or paper.<\/p>\n
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