Topic: DEALING WITH BITTERNESS
Scripture :James 3: 14. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
I welcome you to another moment of encounter with the word. It was Nelson Mandela that says ” As l walk the door towards the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I don’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind I’d still be in prison”! Many are in prison of bitterness today because they fail to deal with the root of bitterness.
Bitterness has root as discuss yesterday, if you don’t handle the root the fruit of resentment /bitterness will keep on growing in your life.
Why should we deal with bitterness?
Bitterness is a situation where someone drink poison and he is expecting another person to feel the pain of the poison. Be sure that every poison has its effect. The following are consequences of the poison called bitterness:
- Physically :
a. it will affect your health. It can cause arthritis, ulcer etc.
b. It can cause feelings of helplessness, blaming yourself, feeling edgy and aggressive.
c. It can take away your sleep change your appetite
d. Changes personality and self-image
e. keeps you trapped in the past, prolonging your pain and preventing you from moving forward with your life.
And lot of others - Emotional
a .It will take away your joy and happiness
b. It affect your sex life as it reduced libido,
c. It lowered your moral not to try out new things
d. It create fear around revisiting places that remind you of the event.
e. It made it difficult to keep relationship - Spiritually
a. It defiles :This is why God said don’t permit it as a Christian :
Hebrews 12: 15. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; b. It cut you off from the Holy Spirit, who supposed to be your helper in life
c. It destroyed your prayer life, the engine of your Christians life
d. It provides accommodation for demon.
As soon as you grow bitter, evil spirit will take advantage of your mind to do evil. That is why a bitter person can kill at any time. Many of them commit suicide because when you are bitter your mind is like a sugar that attract ants. Anywhere you see sugar ants must be present so is a bitter mind attracts demon.
Beloved, check your life are you still living in bitterness? Some of us are bitter against God because of our presume posture and ideas about whom God is! Or probably because of unanswered prayers. The happening around us could also lead us to be bitter against God like John the Baptist (Matt. 11:2-18).
He was sent as a fore runner of Jesus, now in prison expecting help from Jesus, yet no way. He grew bitter and was later beheaded. Are you a minister, called of God but the happening around you presently make you to doubt your calling!
Infact, you have grown bitter against God because you felt abandoned, you pray for people no testimony! Here this :
Matthew 11: 6. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Perhaps, it is your spouse you are bitter against because he /she cheated on you! Are you bitter against yourself because you feel life is not fare to you? Or bitter against the guy that broke your heart! Oh he made you pregnant and abandoned you and your pregnancy! It could be your Boss, who denied you of your right and privileges.
Or your business partners that later back stabbed. It could be against your pastor who disappointed you badly. Who ever it is bitterness of any kind must be dealt with decisively because if you don’t it will denied you your tickets to heaven.
How do will deal with the problem of bitterness?
- Ask God to reveal it to you.
Jeremiah 17: 9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? It is very difficult for many to accept the fact that they are bitter, but God knows your heart, so let Him who you the picture of your heart. - Confront it like you will deal with every other sins: Confess to God and make demands for His help. Don’t argue with the Holy Spirit once He reveal it to you, just own up your sin and let Him help you out.
- Learn to pursue peace. Hebrews 12: 14. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord :
You must consistently resist whatever will not allow peace to reign between you and others. However, there are difficult person that will make you unable to maintain peace. This what the Bible said : Romans 12: 18. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
You must try as much as it is possible within your power. - Don’t allow bitterness to germinate in your heart by forgiving offences as they come. It is those offences you didn’t allow to go that has held you down. (Eph. 4:31)
- Pray for the one who offended you. Forgiveness can be very tough but as you receive grace to pray for your offender, it become easy (Phil4:13)
- Understand that if you don’t forgive, you will not receive forgiveness. Matthew 6: 14. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Beloved, as I bring this matter to a close, do you have bitterness against God please, let it end today. Dealt with that matter now as you bring repentance to God. Is it against your self, please free your self, forgive yourself.
Remember this : Jesus is coming soon! Heaven is real!
Prayer :
Father thank you for your word to me today again, I receive grace to release forgiveness to all those who have hurt me in the past in Jesus name.
Prophetic prayers :
- I prophesy grace to forgive comes upon you now in the name of Jesus
- Received deliverance from the prison of bitterness /resentment now in Jesus name.
- You are unstoppable! Every resentment that has been limiting your life in time past is kick out today in Jesus name.
-Every sickness that came as a results of bitterness receive healing now as you release forgiveness in Jesus mighty name.