How Is Forgiveness Even Possible? - Encouragement for Today - March 25, 2026
Encouragement for Today
Audio By Carbonatix
Crosswalk.com
March 25, 2026
How Is Forgiveness Even Possible?
LYSA TERKEURST
Lee en español
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” Ephesians 1:7-8a (NIV)
Editor’s Note: Don’t skip a single day this week. From March 23-27, each devotion includes a never-before-seen excerpt from Lysa TerKeurst’s first prayer book, Come Close to Jesus. Trust us — you’ll want to read every one.
I wanted to obey God. But forgiveness felt so incredibly impossible with some people who had altered the course of my life with their actions. The unchangeable felt unforgivable. There were so many betrayals, and many of the people who hurt me never owned up to what they did or apologized. I didn’t know how forgiveness could be possible when my feelings wouldn’t sign on to this process.
Unforgiveness sometimes felt like the best way to protect my heart from getting hurt again. But resentment and bitterness were turning me into someone I didn’t want to be.
Unforgiveness never leads to peace. I knew the only way to get to peace was to do what Jesus wanted me to do — forgive. Forgiveness is God’s prescription to heal the hurting human heart.
I knew I would need Jesus to help me. That’s why I focused on what Jesus did on the cross and incorporated that into the forgiveness process. The cross was the most holy act of forgiveness that ever took place. His blood shed for our sins was the redemptive ingredient that accomplished a forgiveness we never could have obtained or earned for ourselves:
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” (Ephesians 1:7-8a).
My counselor, Jim Cress, taught me a Christ-centered method of dealing with forgiveness. He handed me a stack of 3-by-5-inch cards and told me to write on each card an action someone did that caused me pain. I placed many cards all over the floor. Then Jim instructed me to say this over each card:
“Out of obedience to God, I forgive ________ for _________. And whatever my feelings don’t yet allow for, the blood of Jesus will surely cover it.”
Then he handed me a stack of red felt squares, each slightly larger than a card. He instructed me to seal each forgiveness declaration by placing a piece of red felt over the card, symbolizing the blood of Jesus and His sacrifice. I realized cooperating with Jesus was the only way I could forgive.
What a relief to know that forgiving others doesn’t depend on us. We don’t have to try to feel our way to forgiveness. We need to bring our willingness to forgive, but we don't have to have fully restored feelings.
Forgiveness is both a decision and a process. It starts with the decision to forgive the facts of what happened. That’s what I did that day with the cards. Now I have a marked moment to think back on and know with certainty that I was obedient to God.
You can do the same. And when those bitter feelings return? Or when you get triggered by hurts from the past? You aren’t a forgiveness failure. That’s just evidence that you now must also walk through the process of forgiveness for the impact of what this hurtful situation has cost you. Take the time you need to process this and work through it. And then use the same script to forgive how you’ve been impacted by what happened.
Remember: You deserve to stop suffering because of what someone else did to you. Forgiveness is how we find peace in the middle of hurt and betrayal.
My Savior, thank You for the sacrifice of Your death on the cross and Your resurrection. Because of this, I don’t have to feel my way to forgiveness. I want to obey You. It’s not easy, but I know You want me to forgive. This is the way I heal and find peace. I place this person who hurt me into Your hands, and I trust that You will address this in Your way and in Your timing. You will handle this with equal measures of grace and justice. Therefore, I am safe to release all my hurt and pain. I release my need to see this person punished. I release my need for an apology. I release my need for this to feel fair. I release my need for You to declare I’m right and they’re wrong. And when feelings of unforgiveness arise, I will forgive the impact this has had on me. Thank You for Your love, forgiveness, and peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
P.S. Mark your calendar for Holy Week (March 29-April 5). For eight days, we’ll pause together to steady our hearts in the finished work of Jesus — one scripture and one quiet reminder at a time.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
Sometimes the hardest part of prayer isn’t starting — it’s believing it makes a difference. You pray for your kids. Your marriage. The situation you can’t fix. And somewhere along the way, you quietly wonder if God is really listening. That same doubt is what brings so many women to the Proverbs 31 Ministries prayer wall — not because they’ve stopped believing but because they need reassurance that their prayers still matter. When you give today, you help meet that doubt with biblical Truth, reminding each woman that prayer doesn’t have to be polished or perfect to be powerful. That’s also why Lysa TerKeurst wrote Come Close to Jesus — to give women Scripture-shaped prayers that steady the heart and rebuild confidence when words feel hard to find. Your generosity places that encouragement into more hands, and as a thank-you for partnering with us, you’ll receive your own copy of the book too. Give today and help another woman pray with confidence again.
ENGAGE
Find everyday encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Colossians 3:13, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (NIV).
Do you feel the tug of unforgiveness in your heart? Try doing the same exercise Lysa’s counselor had her do. Whether there is one offense or many, don’t let unforgiveness live in your heart.
1. On each card, write one action someone did that caused you pain.
2. Say, “Out of obedience to God, I forgive _________ for ____________. And whatever my feelings don’t yet allow for, the blood of Jesus will surely cover it.”
3. Then seal each card by covering it with a piece of red felt or paper.
Repeat the exercise when you’re triggered by the thoughts of the impact of those hurts.
In the comments, we’d love to hear how this devotion spoke to you.
© 2026 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
