Gritted-Teeth Prayers

This is a devotion from The Upper Room magazine:

9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]'

Read Matthew 6:9-13

Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

-Matthew 6:12 (KJV)
AS I was going through a divorce last year, I dealt with feelings of betrayal, hurt, anger, and abandonment. I resented the time I'd invested in a lost marriage. At the same time, I tried to grasp the idea of forgiveness. While I wanted God to hear my prayer of repentance and to forgive me, I was having a hard time forgiving my soon-to-be-former wife. I prayed through gritted teeth, "I forgive her, God." I did not mean it and God knew I did not mean it, but I kept praying the same prayer daily.

It was hard to forgive someone who had treated me badly. But at times when memories popped into my head and I felt hurt and resentment, I said my gritted-teeth prayer. I read self-help books about anger management, but they didn't help. Nothing helped but my daily, strained prayer. Gradually, I began to unclench my teeth, to relax, and to honestly pray to be able to forgive my wife. Then, I felt, God forgave my lack of contribution to the marriage.

Forgiveness is a spiritual two-way street. I had not worked hard enough at my marriage, and I had not worked at my relationship with God. While the marriage could not be salvaged, my relationship with God has grown as I have learned to forgive.

Ed Ridgley (Alabama, U.S.A.)


Lord, teach us to forgive as you forgive. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God hears and responds even to the prayers we pray through gritted teeth.

It is so hard to forgive, especially when those close to us hurt us. Parents, siblings, close friends, these are the people we trust. When they hurt us we build up this wall and do not let anyone in. It is a dark and lonely road. I know, i've been there. It is almost impossible to forgive someone close to you who has hurt you - but with God it is possible, and it is neccessary for living a healthy life in Christ. Even if you are gritting your teeth, those prayers are important.
God Bless,
Your sister in Christ ~Erin