When Grace Goes First

Weekly Prayer Focus

"Lord, teach us to live by mercy, not offense. We choose to forgive as You have forgiven us."
This week, we walk the Mercy Road. We’re laying down bitterness, releasing every offense, and asking the Holy Spirit to make us a people marked by forgiveness. We are praying for personal healing, spiritual freedom, restored relationships, and a church—and a nation—that operates by the mercy of the cross.

Scripture

Colossians 3:13 (NLT)
"Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."

Devotion

Grace doesn’t wait to be asked. It steps forward first.

That’s what Jesus did for us—and that’s what we’re called to do for others. Colossians 3:13 tells us plainly: forgive, because you’ve been forgiven. Make room for each other’s faults. Extend the same mercy that was extended to you.

Forgiveness is rarely easy, especially when the wounds go deep. But grace is never passive. When we choose to go first—to reach out, to release, to restore—we create space for healing to take place.

This is how relationships are rebuilt. Not by holding ground, but by extending grace. Not by waiting for someone else to fix it, but by walking the way of the cross.

Forgiveness doesn’t deny the pain. It refuses to let pain be the final word. When grace goes first, it makes restoration possible.

Prayer Focus

• Ask God to give you strength to initiate forgiveness, even when it feels unfair.

• Pray that our church would model what it looks like to walk in grace with one another.

• Intercede for families or friendships where someone needs to take the first step.

• Ask the Lord to heal hardened hearts through the power of grace.

Declaration

I choose to forgive because I’ve been forgiven.
I won’t wait for others to make it right—I will lead with grace.
I believe God restores what offense tried to destroy.
Today, grace goes first.