April 11, 2023 - Proverbs‬ ‭19:11

“An understanding person demonstrates patience, for mercy means holding your tongue. When you are insulted, be quick to forgive and forget it, for you are virtuous when you overlook an offense.” Proverbs 19:11 TPT

Lord, thank you so much for your patience with us. You extend mercy to us time and time again. Help us to be more like you. Help us learn to have patience with others like you have with us. You are patient even when we do things that we know are hurtful to you. Even when we act selfishly and make it all about us and how we feel, not caring how it affects you. Even when we ask for your forgiveness then almost immediately turn around and do the same thing again. Even in all those times, you extend grace, mercy, and patience with us. You treat us with love. Even when we are disciplined, you do it with love and patience.

Lord, teach us how to be more like you in these areas. Sometimes it seems impossible, yet you choose to love every day. If you can do it, so can we. With you all things are possible. Help us walk in that kind of love for one another. Help us to see others through your eyes. Even when people are hurtful to us, even when they act selfishly and they keep repeating negative behavior, help us love them. Help us silence the words of the enemy who would want us to dwell on the offense and allow it to fester into bitterness. Help us be quick to forgive and forget.

Give us wisdom on when to keep extending love and mercy and when it is time to walk away. Lord, help us allow you to be our defender and only “fight back” if under direct instructions from you., we thank you for giving us the strength and wisdom to overlook offenses and making it possible for us to live a victorious life of joy. Make us people of virtue.

In Jesus name, amen.