“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” – Mark 11:25

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan gave a speech to the AFL-CIO at the Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C. At 2:30 p.m., accompanied by Secret Service and aides, the President walked out of the ballroom and through the lobby. He was on his way to a waiting limousine and waving at the friendly crowd of reporters and onlookers when a young man, John Hinckley Jr., went into a shooter’s crouch and fired six shots. The shots struck the President in the chest just 1 inch from his heart, Presidential Press Secretary James Brady in the brain, Secret Service Agent Timothy McCarthy in the stomach, and Metropolitan Police Officer Thomas Delahant in the neck.

Though it was a serious situation, Reagan reacted in a casual manner and even whispered to his wife at George Washington Hospital, “Honey, I forgot to duck.” Reagan’s attitude made a strong impression on his daughter, Patti Davis. She said: “The following day my father said he knew his physical healing was directly dependent on his ability to forgive John Hinckley. By showing me that forgiveness is the key to everything, including physical health and healing, he gave me an example of Christ-like thinking.”

Do you need to forgive someone? Today in prayer, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so your Heavenly Father may forgive you.

“Only one petition in the Lord’s Prayer has any condition attached to it: it is the petition for forgiveness.” – William Law

God’s Word: “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” – Matthew 6:14

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2002, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN MARK pkennedy@devotional.com