Joyful Moments in Christ

Conflict and resentment can quietly take root in our hearts, leaving relationships strained and our spirits unsettled. However, the Bible calls us to pursue holiness and peace with everyone, reminding us that holding onto bitterness can harm ourselves and others, while Christ offers the ultimate reconciliation. Hebrews 12:14-15 teaches that striving for peace and guarding against bitterness allows God’s grace to flow freely. Let’s say a prayer that will help us to release anger, forgive sincerely, and experience the joy and serenity that come from living as a peacemaker in Jesus, letting Christ’s peace rule in our heart and guiding our words and actions toward love and reconciliation.

A Prayer

Dear Father,

You are a God of holiness and a God of peace. You take the chaos and brokenness of the world and gently guide it toward your perfect plan. You healed the sick, restored the outcast, and forgave those who betrayed you, showing us that nothing is beyond your power. You reconciled humanity to yourself through Christ, turning rebellion into redemption. I praise you for your steadfast love, your perfect justice, and your patient mercy that never fails.

I confess that I do not always live as an agent of your peace. When I am wronged, I cling to bitterness rather than forgiveness. When others sin against me, I puff up with pride, assuming my way is right and forgetting that all have fallen short. I fail to see others as you see them, as creations worthy of love, even when they stumble. I confess my impatience, my anger, and my inability to let go of slights that weigh on my heart. Please forgive me and cleanse me from these roots of bitterness.

Thank you for the ultimate peace offering, your Son Jesus Christ, who came to reconcile us to you and to one another. Through his sacrifice, I have been given grace, mercy, and hope. I am grateful that your Spirit dwells within me, guiding me toward holiness and empowering me to live in peace. I rejoice in the joy that comes from knowing that even in my weakness, you work all things for good.

Lord, help me to strive for peace with everyone, just as Hebrews 12:14 (ESV) commands: “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” Strengthen me to pursue holiness without which no one will see you. Let me not allow a root of bitterness to take hold, as Hebrews 12:15 (ESV) warns: “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” May my life reflect your grace, helping others encounter your love and release their own anger. Teach me to forgive quickly, to love sincerely, and to promote peace in every corner of my life. May the joy of reconciliation and your steadfast presence fill my heart daily.

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Respond

Please pray a prayer about peace in relationships.

If you aren’t sure where to begin, you can use the ACTS method: Adoration, Confession, Thankfulness, and Supplication:

• Adoration: Praise God. Does this topic bring any specific characteristics of God to mind?
• Confession: Tell God that you are sorry for specific sins. Does this topic bring any specific sins to mind?
• Thankfulness: Show gratitude towards God. Does anything from this topic inspire gratitude?
• Supplication: Make requests for yourself and for others. Does anything from this topic inspire a prayer?

If helpful, you can use a prayer journal template.

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English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.