Personal Prayer
Praise God as one who is perfect in power and judgment but also perfect in mercy and kindness. Give thanks for God’s mercy to you (Eph. 2:4-5). Confess your inability to show mercy as completely and graciously as your Father does. Commit yourself to living with a greater awareness of God’s mercy and kindness in your life (Eph. 1:7-8). Ask God to extend this grace to others who have irritated or hurt you.

For Your Family and Friends
Ask God to give you the power to extend forgiveness and mercy to family members or acquaintances with whom you have a broken relationship.

For the Church
Pray that those in your church who struggle with guilt and an inability to forgive will be changed by an awareness of God’s great and free mercy toward them in Jesus. Pray for wisdom for your pastor, elders, and others who counsel these people.

For the Kingdom
Ask God to make his church worldwide a shining example of people who extend mercy and kindness even to their enemies (Mt. 5:44-45).

For People to Know Jesus
Intercede for your unsaved friends and acquaintances, that God would put in their hearts a hunger for his mercy and forgiveness.

Prayer Pointer
“All who have walked with God have viewed prayer as the main business of their lives.” —Delma Jackson