Prayer And Forgiveness

“Those who use forgiveness in counseling because it helps people feel better often acknowledge the religious meaning of forgiveness” (McMinn, pg.

Self-forgiveness is said to be a positive development because it dissociates the individual's conception of the stable self from the bad behavior. Much like interpersonal forgiveness it is a conscious decision to move forward although it does not imply that the offending behavior is acceptable and should be ignored. (Hall & Fincham 2005:623). Even more so than interpersonal forgiveness, it implies the need for some sort of self-directed change. The phenomena of self and other-directed forgiveness are

Forgiveness is significant to a client because it helps to get relief psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. "Before getting into forgiveness in counseling, there are concepts that are related to it and should be analyzed (McMinn, 1996)". Forgiveness is viewed in three perspectives which include opposition, technique, or an obligation. These perspectives included in counseling are a healthy method for forgiving.

There are many stories that revolve around God that if you do something wrong, it seems that you hurt God in the process because they watch over you and are always around you. Our souls are spiritually connected to them when we pray. When we ask for forgiveness from God(s), it gets rid of the negativity you are carrying within your soul. Others think of Forgiveness as a cleansing

In general, self-forgiveness is identified by a common ability to exhibit self-respect in spite of the acceptance of wrong-doing (Hall, J., Fincham, D., 2005). I never considered the distinction between interpersonal forgiveness and intrapersonal forgiveness. While they share many similarities, there is even greater evidence of the differences between the two. One significant difference involves the consequences of withholding forgiveness from self. It is likely that intrapersonal unforgiveness can be much more detrimental than interpersonal. Hall & Fincham state “ Self-forgiveness often entails a resolution to change” (2005). It is this process of acceptance of one’s own imperfections and sinful nature that catapults a desire for self-improvement and growth. This is a critical component of healing the soul and beginning the journey to spiritual and mental health. Also enlightening was the declaration that one can experience pseudo self forgiveness by failing to acknowledge any wrong doing and convincing him/herself that they are without fault. Finally, I was struck by the notion that self-forgiveness will typically

Forgiveness, what is it you might ask? For me personally forgiveness highlights a shift in thinking to someone who has hurt you. Through personal experience I have been involved in a lot of forgiveness, usually the side doing the forgiving. Lately the term forgiveness has actually caused quite a stir in the scholarly world today. Under what condition is forgiveness morally acceptable, required, or improper? Arguably the most important part of forgiveness is the fact it’s scientifically proven to improve your health.

To begin with, forgiving people who wronged you comes in handy since it helps you live a longer and healthier life. According to the informational text “Understanding Forgiveness” written by PBS, it states that people who forgive have “ [f]ewer stress-related health issues” and their

2. According to the article, forgiveness is granting unconditionally grace to those who have cause suffering and pain and accepting what they did and not letting that affect the love they show to that person. Forgiveness is central for racial reconciliation because forgiveness is the first step of mending the relationship with others. It also allows God to do a work between the two groups. When there is forgiveness God can change hearts and create amazing things to happen out of tragedies.

They use the rhetorical strategy of cause and effect in order to have the audience see the advantages and disadvantages when it comes to possessing the virtue of forgiveness. They explain that “forgiveness can lead to, healthier relationships, improved mental health, lower blood pressure, improved self-esteem and heart rates.” It seems that the list of advantages just keeps continuing to grow. They show the opposing side by explaining how if you hold a grudge or do not forgive you may “become depressed, [...] bring anger and bitterness into every new relationship that you enter, and more.” When anyone looks at these symptoms and compare and contrast the results no one is going to want to be sad. Any average human would say “I don't want to be depressed and sad, I want to feel better and be healthier.” By using the rhetorical devices of comparing and contrasting and cause and effect, it allows the reader to evaluate their beliefs. It forces them to think about the consequences of holding a grudge and how much you benefit from letting

It enables us to be compassionate towards others even when they cause pain towards us. One life experience that really impacted me then and continues to this day is when a friend of mine committed suicide in 6th grade. To keep it short, he was dealing with severe depression for a couple of months on account of being bullied for a long time.The problem with suicide of a loved one or friend is that it has a powerful, lasting effect on those who they leave behind. I was one of those people who was angry towards his decision to end his life. He had caused me so much pain by his abrupt exit, but eventually I forgave him for what he did to me because I knew that I had to remember him for who he was and not for what he did to himself. This was an incredible accomplishment on my part because after that I felt so relieved to have that weight taken off of me. Lastly, one recent experience of my forgiveness and compassion towards others is when someone broke my trust and betrayed me. This happened when I had texted someone who I thought was my friend with some private information. The next day, I found out that a rumor had started around school about me. It didn't take long for me to realize who had started the rumor. When I confronted my friend about this rumor, at first he denied this as anyone would, but soon he confessed to having betrayed me. He asked for my forgiveness and at first, I was in disbelief of what he was asking me. I initially thought that no friend does that to another friend, but eventually I realized that even if I couldn't mend the broken friendship, I could still make myself feel better about the situation by forgiving

Forgiveness is not just practiced by saints and not only benefits its recipients but have strong connection with person’s physical, mental and spiritual health. It plays a great role in the health of families, communities and nations. Forgiveness provides common ground for love, acceptance, harmony and true happiness Most spiritual and religious leaders of the world will agree that forgiveness of oneself and others is one way to clear the mind, heart and soul and may result in a feeling of increased peace and happiness.

Enright and Reed’s (2006) article confirms that forgiveness is extremely important because it brings positive change from negative experiences. Forgiveness therapy does not mean that a person has to forget the abuse they experienced. It does not even mean that the person is looking to build a better relationship with the person that abused him or her but it does mean that the person has made a moral decision to have an attitude of benevolence which will improve all of the negative outcomes of the abuse. Accepting the fact that I have been done wrong and realizing that I cannot change what has already occurred leads me to only want to make sure the situation or a similar situation does not happen again. Choosing to forgive and let go of anger makes room for joy and cheerfulness.

In conclusion, the evidenced advanced in support of prayer and healing holds more than that of the opposing group as credible references are provided. For instance, the point regarding crowds that followed Jesus for healing has been repeated severally in the Bible, which gives it credit. Notably, prayer plays a crucial role in people’s life, which explains the different attitudes held by people regarding their suffering or well being, which proves the point that prayer contributes to healing.

According to Abela and Walker (2014), prayer also helps to practice forgiveness. They explain that partners will hurt each other in some point in their marriage life; however, forgiveness becomes an efficient practice to strength couple’s relationships (Abela, & Walker, 2014). I believe forgiveness is easier to accomplish if it is combine with prayer. I think that prayer helps with forgiveness because when people pray, they are asking God to forgive them, but in exchange they need to forgive their partners. So if people asked God to forgive them, but they are not willing to forgive, then the prayer becomes useless.

Forgiveness has been defined in many ways by psychologists and researchers with no one universal definition. Hill (as cited in Maltby, Day and Mackaskill 2001) state that it is widely agreed that forgiveness involves a willingness to abandon resentment, negative judgement and indifferent behaviour towards the person who has hurt them Although research is recent, from the last 15 years, it has helped develop our understanding of forgiveness . Research has shown that forgiveness gives positive mental health and prevents the development of mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and stress. Two major models of forgiveness are Enright’s model and Worthington’s (2001) pyramid model to REACH forgiveness. Both these models involve steps and