How to Forgive the Unforgivable | Grow in God Devotionals

 Releasing Your Enemies in the Courts of Heaven

Unforgiveness is heavy. Its effects can linger far longer than we realise, quietly corroding our hearts and shaping our behaviour, thoughts, and emotions. Over time, it can develop into bitterness, a critical or mean-spirited outlook, anger, fear, and even allow unclean spirits to nest within us without our awareness. This is especially true when justice never came, and we never brought our pain to God in prayer—when instead we nursed the anger and held onto the wounds ourselves.

While the terms "soul wounds" and "spiritual effects" are often used in faith-based contexts, modern medical science has extensively mapped how these emotional and spiritual states—specifically chronic unforgiveness and resentment—manifest as physical disease. In clinical research, these “soul wounds” are often categorized as Moral Injury or Spiritual Distress, and their long-term effects are significant.

1. Physical Health – The “Simmering” Stress Response
When a person carries unforgiveness, the brain keeps the body in a constant, low-grade fight-or-flight mode. This releases cortisol and adrenaline over time, which can result in measurable health issues:

• Cardiovascular Disease: Chronic resentment significantly increases heart rate and blood pressure. Research suggests that low-forgiving traits can raise the risk of heart disease by 20% to 50%.
• Immune System Suppression: Long-term spiritual distress weakens the body’s ability to fight infection, as high cortisol levels inhibit white blood cell production.
• Autoimmune & Inflammatory Disorders: Persistent emotional pain triggers systemic inflammation, worsening conditions such as Psoriasis, Ulcerative Colitis, and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

2. Mental & Emotional Disorders
Soul wounds—unprocessed trauma or betrayal—are primary drivers for several mental health challenges:

• Depression & Anxiety: Studies show a direct correlation between the inability to forgive and severe depressive symptoms.
• Rumination Disorder: Replaying past hurts keeps the brain’s “pain centers” active as if the offense is happening in real-time, leading to chronic insomnia and sleep disruption.
• Substance Abuse: Many struggling with bitterness turn to alcohol or drugs to numb the persistent pain of unresolved resentment.

3. Spiritual & Long-Term “Soul” Effects
In spiritual psychology, unforgiveness is considered a major “block” to well-being:

State	Long-Term Effect	Clinical Manifestation
Chronic Bitterness	Cynical Worldview	Difficulty forming trusting relationships, social isolation
Self-Blame	Low Self-Worth	Self-sabotaging behaviors, increased risk of suicidal thoughts
Spiritual Struggle	Crisis of Meaning	Feeling “cut off” from purpose or connection to a higher power

4. The “Forgiveness Premium” – The Statistics of Healing
The good news is that forgiveness has measurable, scientific benefits:

• Lower Stress: Longitudinal studies show that as forgiveness levels increase, perceived stress drops, which translates to fewer physical symptoms.
• Longevity: People practicing unconditional forgiveness tend to live longer and healthier lives than those practicing conditional forgiveness.
• Better Sleep: Forgiving others correlates with improved sleep quality and daytime wakefulness.

As Dr. Albers of the Cleveland Clinic notes:

“Suppressing feelings of resentment is a slippery slope into PTSD, trauma, and chronic heart disease.”

Spiritual Perspective

Forgiveness is difficult—sometimes seemingly impossible—but only by the grace of God can we forgive the unforgivable. This may include our own parents, siblings, in-laws, best friends, neighbors, or anyone who has committed unimaginable evil: assault, battery, betrayal, cheating, false accusations, domestic abuse, rape, molestation, or even attempted assassination.

As Christians, we operate by grace, not by law. Each day, the Lord forgives us and gives us a clean slate to continue our process of sanctification through confession and repentance. Expecting this same grace from non-Christians is not realistic—they still operate under the law. As it is written in Galatians 3:24–25 (NKJV):

“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”

The law exposes sin and points to the need for Christ’s grace—but it cannot produce the forgiveness of the heart that God alone grants. Romans 3:23–24 (NKJV) reminds us:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

I have struggled with forgiving my enemies too. But God has been teaching me how to release them while maintaining healthy boundaries, so I am no longer their constant, available punching bag. This understanding led me to compose a prayer of forgiveness and release, which I want to share below as an example for those seeking to forgive while also protecting themselves spiritually.

Prayer of Forgiveness and Release of My Relentless Enemies to the Courts of Heaven

Father, before I begin, I humbly ask for Your grace to allow me to release the following people for forgiveness:
 <say their name/s, or if it includes unforgiveness toward yourself>

As it is written in Mark 11:25–26: “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

I choose to forgive, so that I too may be cleared of all guilt and offenses before You, and that this prayer will not be hindered by any unforgiveness toward those who abused me, wounded me, and committed all manner of evil against me.

Your Word declares in Ezekiel 33:11 NKJV: “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’”

This reveals Your heart — that You desire even my most wicked enemies to come to repentance and live.

Therefore today, I sound the trumpet. I declare that these enemies would be warned, disturbed in their dreams, confronted by their conscience, and urged to repent. I do this so that guilt may be removed from my hands, for it is written in Ezekiel 33:3–5 NKJV: “When he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life.”

For You have also promised restoration to the repentant, as written in Your Word:

Ezekiel 18:21 “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”

Ezekiel 18:28 “Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”

Ezekiel 33:15 “If the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”

Lord, I acknowledge that Your ultimate desire is to bring all of us back into the sheepfold. As it is written in Proverbs 13:24: “He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.”

Therefore, let my love for my enemies be expressed in such a way that they cease yielding to the works of the flesh, which are clearly described in Galatians 5:19–21: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Father, I bless my enemies <name/s> with repentance that leads to salvation and eternal life in Christ Jesus. However, should they relentlessly continue in blasphemies against Your name, corrupt practices, and abominations such as witchcraft, divination, sorcery, scheming, theft, gangstalking, harassment, and all manner of wicked intent, I excommunicate them from my midst. I sever all soul ties with each of them and relinquish all restitution into Your hands.

As it is written in 1 Timothy 1:20: “Of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.”

And also in 1 Corinthians 5:5: “Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

Lord, I petition Your heavenly courts to raise up judges who will not take bribes, who will not be biased toward my enemies, and who will hear the side of truth. Deliver me from those who have plundered me both in the natural and in the spirit — those who swindled me, set traps to take my money, cursed my finances, deceived me through bait and false promises, and tarnished my integrity.

These are those who seek to plunder all my possessions, just as Jezebel devised a plot against Naboth and inherited his vineyard. Let them never lay hands on the blessings You have given me. Raise up a judge to issue a permanent restraining order against every thief and plunderer.

For it is written in Judges 2:16: “Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them.”

Father, though I would desire to reason with my adversaries, they have advanced further into harassment, vexation, demonic rituals, spells, curses, hexes, vexes, and every form of wicked intent against me. Therefore, I hand over the following adversaries <insert name/s> to the Ultimate Judge — Jesus Christ, the Ancient of Days — and I ask the Holy Spirit to advocate for me against all wicked plots, scams, assassination schemes, destruction, and all harm devised against me and my household.

I deliver them into Your heavenly and divine judgment to be dealt with accordingly, as written in Matthew 5:25: “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.”

Your Word also declares that anyone who seeks to use the law, yet cannot perfectly keep it, stands guilty of breaking all of it. Therefore, every accusation, every attempt to weaponize my past sins, and every whisper that I am unworthy of grace and forgiveness is now rebuked and silenced.

For it is written in James 2:10: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”

And in Romans 3:19: “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”

For all have fallen short of Your glory, and we are all guilty — yet only through grace, by faith in Christ Jesus, can we be pardoned from both physical and eternal damnation. For it is written in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Let every double standard, false morality, and hypocrisy — especially for sins they themselves are guilty of — be exposed, recounted, and dealt with according to Your Word. As it is written in Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Lord, should they refuse to turn from the works of the flesh, let Your Word be fulfilled as it is written in Joshua 23:5: “And the Lord your God will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, as the Lord your God promised you.”

Let each of them be uprooted from the land, that they may no longer spread defilement where they practice evil or bewitch others into believing lies and falsehoods.

And let every person who committed natural or spiritual theft against me — and who refuses to restore sevenfold, as written in Proverbs 6:31: “Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house.”

— then let Your Word also be fulfilled as written in Zechariah 5:3: “Then he said to me, ‘This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: “Every thief shall be expelled,” according to this side of the scroll; and, “Every perjurer shall be expelled,” according to that side of it.’”

I close this prayer with full confidence that You, O Lord — the Ancient of Days — will cast down every accuser, every serpentine spirit, and every unclean spirit. Let this prayer be sealed by the blood of the Lamb, by which I overcome the enemy, and let me come forth with a good testimony for the glory of Your name.

As it is written in Revelation 12:10–11: “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.’”

I submit this prayer before the Courts of Heaven,
 in the name of the Father,
 the Son, Jesus Christ,
 and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.