A Prayer for Reconciliation

The task of reconciliation is often difficult—for everyone involved. The world tells us that there are many legitimate reasons to remain forever separated from each other—violations that are unforgivable. But, God’s Word says something different.

God wants us to follow His example, not the world’s. He is an advocate of reconciliation, as in Hosea 3:1 when Hosea was reconciled to his wife, who had been unfaithful to him, “The Lord said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.’”

The Holy Bible tells us that if we belong to Christ, we have become His ambassadors of reconciliation—reconciling all people to Him. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 says, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

Reconciliation is not an easy task. It requires us to be forgiving, loving, gentle, kind, patient, peace-loving, joyful, and self-controlled—the fruits of the Spirit. We must be indwelled by Christ.

Christ has reconciled us to Himself, and we must be reconciled to others (Romans 5:11). Once we have been reconciled to Christ, then we are in a position to be reconciled to others.

When we are struggling in our efforts toward reconciliation, we can pray and ask God to help us.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You and praise You for reconciling us to You through Your son, Jesus Christ. We humbly ask You to forgive us for our sin, and help us to forgive others who have wronged us.

Dear Lord, our heart is breaking for the separation we have with __________________________. Show us how to be reconciled to him/her/them.

Father, if there is anything separating us from You—any unconfessed sin—we ask that You would reveal it to us that we may be reconciled to You.

Thank You for Your infinite love for us. Fill us with Your love for others. Erase the pain, Father. The hurt runs so very deep. It is so often overwhelming.

Help us to know when to speak and when to keep silent. Put words of peace and harmony in our hearts.

Give us victory in this situation, for we are so very weak in our own strength. We commit our every action, as well as the outcome, to You.

We ask all these things in Your perfect, holy name.

AMEN.

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