Last Sunday night I had the privilege of preaching to a bunch of young people at a church. Often I am able to preach in the main services but I love the opportunity to preach in any capacity the Lord allows.

I was able to sing and give my testimony in the main service and then go preach the gospel to the young people. I was able to share my testimony of how the Lord has worked in my life and how God can take a boy that was abused save him and call him to preach.

May we all be reminded that there is no home to broken, no wound too deep and no scar too bad that God cannot heal.

I had a few minutes while they were eating. I sat a table where there was a young man, who, apparently was upset about something.

All the rest of the children were playing and eating but not this boy.

I asked him his name, he looked at me then put his head down. I seen what was on his shirt and it said pray for my opps!

Opps? What is that i asked. He replied, those that are against me. I realized he was talking about opposition.

He finally said something to me and I was able to talk to him for a few minutes.

I got done speaking and several of the young people were talking to workers about salvation. (I pray they made a decision for Christ.)

I looked around and didn't see the young man I spoke to at the table. After service and everything was over I found him and started talking to him again. This time I asked him if he was able to stay in the service to hear the message. He shook his head no. I said can I tell you what I talked about? He shook his head yes.

I began to tell him how I was abused and how God took me out of that situation and placed me in a better home where I would hear the gospel and come to know Christ and how the Lord called me to preach.

He started talking to me more and I got to share how we ought to forgive others who do things to us.
I shared how I had to forgive my biological father of the things he committed against me and I had to realize that everything worked for me and not against me.

The greatest thing about it was that young man heard about forgiveness and how God loves him and how He is ready to forgive anyone who calls on him.

Friend, I do not know what you are facing today. You may be like this young man asking prayer for his opps but let me remind you that since we have been forgiven, we ought to forgive.

After Christ was beaten, spit upon, nails driven in his hands and feet, a crown of thorns beat in his head he still cried, "Father, forgive them."

Friend we must be Christlike in everything that we do. We must pray the Father to forgive those that are against us.

Matthew 5:43-48 KJV
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. [44] But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; [45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? [47] And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? [48] Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Read especially verse 44. O how we need to forgive, o how we need to pray for our opps!

Have you prayed for your opps today? Would you pray for this young man's opps?

Not saying I am something but I told that young man I would pray for his opps.

He opened up as I was kind and gracious to him. He talked to me all the way to his house as I rode the bus he was on.

I am thankful for opportunities that God gives me to share the gospel with others. Pray for that young man, and his opps.
Pray that he would forgive those as he has been forgiven.

Also think about your life and who do you need to pray for? Who do you need to forgive? May you do it today.

Ephesians 4:32 KJV
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Thank you for reading today's fire-starter devotional. Please share this with someone. Also please send your prayer request to Justin@rtfministries.net by tomorrow evening and subscribe to my youtube channel @rekindlingthefire