August 27, 2024 • 10 mins
Welcome to another insightful episode of The Heartbeat of Faith Podcast. I'm Dr. Andrew Farley, your host, and today, we're delving deep into the profound message of Jesus' final moments on the cross. We'll explore how, even in the midst of unimaginable suffering and mockery, Jesus set an extraordinary example by praying for his enemies. This act of mercy and love challenges us to reconsider our approach to prayer and forgiveness. As we look at Jesus' prayer and the principles it embodies, we'll discover how embracing the power of prayer can help us transcend the cycle of hatred and revenge that often plagues our lives. Join us on this journey of understanding and transformation.
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Consider the countless prayers that may have been offered on your behalf by individuals, perhaps even those you considered enemies. Our lives are shaped not only by the prayers of loved ones but also by the prayers of those who demonstrated love when we least expected it. As we explore the heart of Jesus in prayer, our parting encouragement is to let go of hate, emulate the heart of God, and intercede for those who desperately need love.
Download the Pray.com app today to experience the vivid revelation of God's divine presence through cinematic storytelling, guided by the influence of the Holy Spirit.
For more encouragement in God's grace visit AndrewFarley.org.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Let us pray, repay no one evil for evil. Respect
what is honorable in the sight of all men. If
it is possible, as much as it is up to you,
be at peace with all men. Romans, Chapter twelve, Verses
seventeen and eighteen. Dear Lord, it is difficult to forgive
(00:23):
those who have wronged me. It's hard to let go
of grudges. My hurt is real and can at times
be overwhelming. However, I know that you have forgiven me
time and time again. Though I sinned against you, you
chose to show me abundant love and mercy. Even more,
(00:43):
you have given me a new heart, a forgiving heart
through your spirit. So, because I am now a forgiving
person in Christ, I choose, as an act of my
will to forgive those who have hurt me. I release
them from anything they owe me, even if they do
it again. Thank you that I can be a walking
(01:05):
reminder of just how powerful your grace really is. I
love you, Lord, Thank you for your forgiveness, and thank
you for my new forgiving heart. In Jesus's name, I pray, Amen,
Thank you for praying with me today. Now discover the
(01:25):
profound intricacies of Scripture through pray dot COM's podcast The
Heartbeat of Faith with doctor Andrew Farley.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Of course we pray about things related to our own lives,
but what about other people? How does prayer help us
navigate our relationships with them? How can others through us
benefit from God's love too?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, they do not know what
they are doing.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Jesus prayed to express his heart of forgiveness for those
who had hurt him deeply. And Jesus's enemies probably never
realized he loved them so much.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Hi.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I'm doctor Andrew Farley, and welcome to another episode of
The Heartbeat of Faith podcast. Our goal is to explore
the major themes of the Bible, and we've been examining
powerful prayers this week. Today we look at the prayer
of Jesus. While he was on the cross writhing in pain.
(02:44):
Jesus had to endure the mockery of the people. They
jeered at him and laughed with contempt. Instead of cursing them,
Jesus prayed to the Father about this.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Whose affiction was designed to be a slow and painful
death for ours. Men would gasp for air by pulling
up on their feet and wrists that had nails driven
through them. Slowly, Jesus began to breathe and look upon
the crowd and the people stood by watching. But the
rulers scoffed at him, saying he saved others, Let him
(03:22):
save himself if he is truly Christ. The soldiers also
mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying,
if you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.
Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them. They do not know what
they are doing.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Jesus rejected bitterness and resentment. He didn't seek revenge or
retribution either. Instead, he chose to forgive those who had
tortured him. Jesus embodied perfect love in fact and the
Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew, Jesus spoke
of a standard of love and forgiveness of others that
(04:08):
his hearers could only dream of.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
You have heard that it was said you shall love
your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you
love your enemies, Bless those who curse you, do good
to those who hate you, and pray for those who
mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children
of your Father, who is in heaven, for he makes
(04:34):
his son to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For
if you love those who love you, what reward do
you have. Don't even the tax collectors do the same.
If you only greet your friends, what more do you
do than others? Don't even the tax collectors do the
(04:57):
same Matthew five four through forty seven.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
On the cross and through the resurrection, Jesus was the
ultimate fulfillment of the law. He met the perfect standard
for us by his life, his death, and his rising
out of that tomb. And now that He's made us
new creations, we can be expressions of his love and
(05:27):
forgiveness of others. Colossians teaches us that we were once
enemies of God, but through his loving kindness he brought
us close and made us new. Jesus took out your
heart of stone and gave you a new, loving and
forgiving heart. Because of the Gospel, you can look at
(05:48):
those who've hurt you very differently. As he was being
brutally persecuted, Stephen uttered a prayer of forgiveness for his
torturers before taking his final breath.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Stephan was drug by his feet out beyond the gates
of Jerusalem. An angry mob of temple goers and pharisees followed.
As the guards tied Stephan to a pole. Facing the crowd,
Stephan scanned his surroundings. They were outside the city gates,
which could only mean one thing. Stoning. Stephan's bruised eyes
watched as men picked up rocks the size of their fists.
(06:26):
Evil grins and angry scowls surrounded him. Stephan breathed in
deeply and looked up to Heaven. He fixed his gaze
firmly to the skies, directing his heart towards his lord.
I see the King of Glory, Stephan said, his tears
streamed down his face. I see the heavens opened, and
the Son of God standing at the right hand of
(06:47):
the Father. As Stephan yelled this, the crowd erupted in
battle cries and threw their stones. One stone was hurled
directly at his chest, cracking his ribs in sternum. Another
cracked his knee and shin. Stephan gave out of blood
curdling scream. Stephan had his gaze firmly fixed towards Heaven
(07:08):
as the barrage of stones flew through the air. Stephan whispered, Lord,
do not hold this against them, until another stone hit
his temple, knocking him out. Stones continued to fly towards
Stephan's lifeless body until he was reduced to a pile
of flesh and broken bones.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Bitterness and resentment can create a cycle that will dominate
our thinking as long as we let it. The Bible
teaches us that the only way to break the cycle
is to forgive others and release them from anything they
owe us, canceling their debt. Listen to Paul's words in
Romans twelve about responding to harsh treatment.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Repay no evil for evil, respect what is honorable in
the soul of all men. If it is possible, as
much as it is up to you, be at peace
with all men. Don't seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give
place to God's wrath, For it is written vengeance belongs
(08:15):
to me. I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore, if
your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty,
give him a drink, for in doing so you will
heap coals of fire on his head. Don't be overcome
by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans twelveth seventeen
(08:38):
through twenty one.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Evil can't overcome evil. Only good can do that. Romans
tells us to respect other people and to be at
peace with them as much as it's possible, and when
it comes to revenge, leave all of that to God.
We're not meant to entertain and bear the weight of
(09:01):
such thoughts. God will deal with the sins of those
who persecute you. Judgment is his, and so is vengeance.
God wants you to rise above hatred, bitterness, and revenge
so they don't consume you. Forgiving others is the healthy
way to let go of hate and walk in step
(09:24):
with the spirit of God who dwells in you. It
might look something like this, Father, It hurt me deeply
when they wronged me, But you have given me a
new heart, a forgiving heart, and I choose from my
new heart to forgive them and release them from anything
they owe me. I cancel their debt. Father. They are
(09:47):
free from obligation with me, and Father, I'm free. I'm
freed from bitterness and resentment, freed from scorekeeping. You have
placed this forgiving heart within me, and I am so
grateful in Jesus' name, Amen, Thank you for listening to
(10:09):
the Heartbeat of Faith podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode,
please leave us a review and let us know how
this series has impacted your life. Remember to download Theprey
dot com app, and for more encouragement in God's grace,
visit Andrewfarley dot org. That's Andrewfarley dot org.
Let us pray, repay no one evil for evil. Respect
what is honorable in the sight of all men. If
it is possible, as much as it is up to you,
be at peace with all men. Romans, Chapter twelve, Verses
seventeen and eighteen. Dear Lord, it is difficult to forgive
(00:23):
those who have wronged me. It's hard to let go
of grudges. My hurt is real and can at times
be overwhelming. However, I know that you have forgiven me
time and time again. Though I sinned against you, you
chose to show me abundant love and mercy. Even more,
(00:43):
you have given me a new heart, a forgiving heart
through your spirit. So, because I am now a forgiving
person in Christ, I choose, as an act of my
will to forgive those who have hurt me. I release
them from anything they owe me, even if they do
it again. Thank you that I can be a walking
(01:05):
reminder of just how powerful your grace really is. I
love you, Lord, Thank you for your forgiveness, and thank
you for my new forgiving heart. In Jesus's name, I pray, Amen,
Thank you for praying with me today. Now discover the
(01:25):
profound intricacies of Scripture through pray dot COM's podcast The
Heartbeat of Faith with doctor Andrew Farley.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Of course we pray about things related to our own lives,
but what about other people? How does prayer help us
navigate our relationships with them? How can others through us
benefit from God's love too?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, they do not know what
they are doing.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Jesus prayed to express his heart of forgiveness for those
who had hurt him deeply. And Jesus's enemies probably never
realized he loved them so much.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Hi.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I'm doctor Andrew Farley, and welcome to another episode of
The Heartbeat of Faith podcast. Our goal is to explore
the major themes of the Bible, and we've been examining
powerful prayers this week. Today we look at the prayer
of Jesus. While he was on the cross writhing in pain.
(02:44):
Jesus had to endure the mockery of the people. They
jeered at him and laughed with contempt. Instead of cursing them,
Jesus prayed to the Father about this.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Whose affiction was designed to be a slow and painful
death for ours. Men would gasp for air by pulling
up on their feet and wrists that had nails driven
through them. Slowly, Jesus began to breathe and look upon
the crowd and the people stood by watching. But the
rulers scoffed at him, saying he saved others, Let him
(03:22):
save himself if he is truly Christ. The soldiers also
mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying,
if you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.
Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them. They do not know what
they are doing.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Jesus rejected bitterness and resentment. He didn't seek revenge or
retribution either. Instead, he chose to forgive those who had
tortured him. Jesus embodied perfect love in fact and the
Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew, Jesus spoke
of a standard of love and forgiveness of others that
(04:08):
his hearers could only dream of.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
You have heard that it was said you shall love
your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you
love your enemies, Bless those who curse you, do good
to those who hate you, and pray for those who
mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children
of your Father, who is in heaven, for he makes
(04:34):
his son to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For
if you love those who love you, what reward do
you have. Don't even the tax collectors do the same.
If you only greet your friends, what more do you
do than others? Don't even the tax collectors do the
(04:57):
same Matthew five four through forty seven.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
On the cross and through the resurrection, Jesus was the
ultimate fulfillment of the law. He met the perfect standard
for us by his life, his death, and his rising
out of that tomb. And now that He's made us
new creations, we can be expressions of his love and
(05:27):
forgiveness of others. Colossians teaches us that we were once
enemies of God, but through his loving kindness he brought
us close and made us new. Jesus took out your
heart of stone and gave you a new, loving and
forgiving heart. Because of the Gospel, you can look at
(05:48):
those who've hurt you very differently. As he was being
brutally persecuted, Stephen uttered a prayer of forgiveness for his
torturers before taking his final breath.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Stephan was drug by his feet out beyond the gates
of Jerusalem. An angry mob of temple goers and pharisees followed.
As the guards tied Stephan to a pole. Facing the crowd,
Stephan scanned his surroundings. They were outside the city gates,
which could only mean one thing. Stoning. Stephan's bruised eyes
watched as men picked up rocks the size of their fists.
(06:26):
Evil grins and angry scowls surrounded him. Stephan breathed in
deeply and looked up to Heaven. He fixed his gaze
firmly to the skies, directing his heart towards his lord.
I see the King of Glory, Stephan said, his tears
streamed down his face. I see the heavens opened, and
the Son of God standing at the right hand of
(06:47):
the Father. As Stephan yelled this, the crowd erupted in
battle cries and threw their stones. One stone was hurled
directly at his chest, cracking his ribs in sternum. Another
cracked his knee and shin. Stephan gave out of blood
curdling scream. Stephan had his gaze firmly fixed towards Heaven
(07:08):
as the barrage of stones flew through the air. Stephan whispered, Lord,
do not hold this against them, until another stone hit
his temple, knocking him out. Stones continued to fly towards
Stephan's lifeless body until he was reduced to a pile
of flesh and broken bones.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Bitterness and resentment can create a cycle that will dominate
our thinking as long as we let it. The Bible
teaches us that the only way to break the cycle
is to forgive others and release them from anything they
owe us, canceling their debt. Listen to Paul's words in
Romans twelve about responding to harsh treatment.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Repay no evil for evil, respect what is honorable in
the soul of all men. If it is possible, as
much as it is up to you, be at peace
with all men. Don't seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give
place to God's wrath, For it is written vengeance belongs
(08:15):
to me. I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore, if
your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty,
give him a drink, for in doing so you will
heap coals of fire on his head. Don't be overcome
by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans twelveth seventeen
(08:38):
through twenty one.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Evil can't overcome evil. Only good can do that. Romans
tells us to respect other people and to be at
peace with them as much as it's possible, and when
it comes to revenge, leave all of that to God.
We're not meant to entertain and bear the weight of
(09:01):
such thoughts. God will deal with the sins of those
who persecute you. Judgment is his, and so is vengeance.
God wants you to rise above hatred, bitterness, and revenge
so they don't consume you. Forgiving others is the healthy
way to let go of hate and walk in step
(09:24):
with the spirit of God who dwells in you. It
might look something like this, Father, It hurt me deeply
when they wronged me, But you have given me a
new heart, a forgiving heart, and I choose from my
new heart to forgive them and release them from anything
they owe me. I cancel their debt. Father. They are
(09:47):
free from obligation with me, and Father, I'm free. I'm
freed from bitterness and resentment, freed from scorekeeping. You have
placed this forgiving heart within me, and I am so
grateful in Jesus' name, Amen, Thank you for listening to
(10:09):
the Heartbeat of Faith podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode,
please leave us a review and let us know how
this series has impacted your life. Remember to download Theprey
dot com app, and for more encouragement in God's grace,
visit Andrewfarley dot org. That's Andrewfarley dot org.
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