Summarize the (3) attached articles by Dr. Mara Crabtree on Prayer & Forgiveness. ***You must write in the active voice***
You should give a clear overview of the articles, so you must be judicious in how you utilize this short word count.
If you absolutely need to use a quote, you must limit the quote to 3-4 words. No exceptions.
These summaries do not follow Turabian styles. Instead, format each summary as follows:
NOTE: Since you are paraphrasing and summarizing Crabtree (not writing original opinion or analysis), you are expected to include citations throughout most sentences (if not every one) of the summary to avoid plagiarism.
2 MARCH/APRIL 2020
Committed to
PRAYER
BY THE REV. DR. MARA LIEF CRABTREE
Sharing A Journal of Christian Healing
3Sharing A Journal of Christian HealingMARCH/APRIL 2020
Prayer as a Lifeline
Prayer is a lifeline to spiritual growth and effectiveness
in all forms of ministr y. It supports our spiritual
roots, allowing them to absorb the nourishment God
graciously provides for us in prayer. This nourishment
then extends to ever y “ branch” of our lives: spiritually,
intellectually, emotionally, physically, relationally and
ministerially.
Praying with Integrity
Prayer def ines the nature of our relationship w ith
God. One of the most impor tant aspects of that
relationship i s honest y. We are of ten concerned
about the out ward dimensions of prayer, yet it i s
the inward motivations of one’s hear t , including the
sincer it y and passion of our love for God and for
others, that def ine tr ue prayer. We of ten compare
ourselves to others w hen it comes to prayer, and thi s
can only lead to either pr ide or di scouragement. If
we think our prayers “sound good and holy,” then
our prayers become lack ing in humi lit y and feeble
in power. If we feel di scouraged because we think
others pray much better than we do, then the enemy
tempts us to become di scouraged w ith our prayer
life. Unless humi lit y and love for God and others
motivate our prayers, we mi ss the joy resulting f rom
spir itual grow th in prayer. A s we embrace simplicit y
and sincer it y in shar ing our thoughts, petitions and
intercessions w ith God, we beg in to ex per ience the
miracles and wonders emerg ing f rom lives w hich
dai ly ex press the g if t of prayer. In doing so, those
lives become vessel s for the healing mini str y of Jesus
Chr i st.
Prayers: Ancient and New
God created each of us as di stinct indiv idual s; and
therefore, we each have diversities of g if ts in prayer,
ways of pray ing that ex press w ho we are and our ways
of interacting w ith God. No matter our age or our
ex per ience in prayer, we w i l l always be our Father ’s
chi ldren. Therefore, we should pour out our hear ts to
our Abba w ith complete abandon, tr ust , honest y, and
the sincer it y and openness of a chi ld. A chi ld i s not
self-aware but speak s f rom the hear t of their tr uth.
Thi s chi ld li ke tr ust and abandon in prayer make a
dif ference in the ef fectiveness of our petitions and
intercessions. Those sublime prayers in Scr ipture,
such as the L ord’s Prayer (Matt. 6: 9-13), and the
many great liturg ical prayers of the Church, w r itten
centur ies ago, although beautif ul in their lang uage,
ev idence simplicit y of tr ust in God’s goodness, merc y
and love, and the w i l lingness to br ing ever y human
need, great or smal l, to the L ord. These ancient
prayers, w hen prayed w ith sincer it y, lif t our thoughts
to God and help us ex press those need s that , in many
situations, seem inex pressible. We of ten think of
prayer as spoken, yet si lent , word less prayers that
may involve deep emotion, even tears, are impor tant
in our lives of prayer. Many times, throughout var ious
seasons of life we may feel inadequate to pray; for those
thoughts that weigh on our hear ts seem inex pressible.
God know s the word less intentions of prayer w ithin
our hear ts; and He hears, in Hi s hear t of love, w hat we
cannot out ward ly ex press to our L ord. Our prayers,
w hether ancient and liturg ical, new and spontaneous,
spoken or word less, def ine an impor tant element of
Chr i stian spir itual formation, conformation to God’s
w i l l, and transformation through the renew ing of our
mind s. In the dai ly di scipline of prayer, we continue
our grow th in Chr i st. A s we are nur tured by the L ord
in prayer, our f r iend ship and fel low ship w ith the
Holy Tr init y deepens; and we ex per ience the joy of
tr ue conversation w ith God.
Strengthening Our Commitment
Commitment to prayer is developed over time,
throughout our lives. Prayer is meant not merely as a
spiritual discipline but as an unending commitment to
a way of life. W hen we pray the Psalms or the Lord’s
Prayer, or the liturgical prayers of our denomination
or faith tradition, we strengthen that commitment.
W hen we pray w ith others, we are encouraged and
strengthened by the power of Jesus Christ through the
Holy Spirit in Christian community; and our prayers
A person who brings
the good news of Jesus’
healing and offers praise
and thanksgiving to
God for the Lord’s gifts
of healing (1 Cor. 12:9)
requires a solid grounding
in the soil of prayer.
MARCH/APRIL 20204 Sharing A Journal of Christian Healing
The Rev. Dr. Mara Lief Crabtree has served as a
Chaplain for the Tidewater OSL Healing Community
and currently serves as Region 2 Representative
for Virginia OSL Healing Communities. She is
an Associate Professor teaching in the areas of
Christian Spirituality and Formation at the Regent
University School of Divinity, Virginia Beach, VA.
give glor y to God. How wonderf ul it is to contemplate
that at all times of night and day, throughout all
the diverse places of the world, the Lord’s Prayer is
prayed somewhere by someone or by some group. In
private, spontaneous prayers are rising night and day,
throughout the world, as gracious missiles of light
soaring their way to the Father ’s hear t.
Diversity in Prayer
There are many diverse ways to pray. For ex ample,
we petition God to meet our human need s. Other
times we intercede for the need s of others. Prayers of
intercession are essential to the mini str y of healing.
Sometimes our prayers are those of prai se, honor,
thank sg iv ing and adoration to the Holy Tr init y—
Father, Son and Spir it. Prayers that ex tol l the L ord
make way for r ivers of deep joy to f low w ithin us, for
in those prayers we are doing w hat God has created
us to do: to live now and throughout eternit y g iv ing
glor y to Him w ho i s Per fect L ove.
Prayer in the Vocation of Healing Ministr y
Those cal led to the mini str y of healing , to the joys of
fel low ship w ithin a communit y of healing , must live
out their vocation w ithin the fer ti le soi l of prayer. A
person w ho br ings the good new s of Jesus’ healing
and of fers prai se and thank sg iv ing to God for the
We come before God in
prayer with hearts and
minds focused on simply
listening to our Leader, our
Light, our King and our Law.
L ord’s g if ts of healing (1 Cor. 12:9) requires a solid
grounding in the soi l of prayer. W hy ? One must
interact in and through prayer and Holy Scr ipture to
know God. Prayer i s dialog ical, for the di scipline of
prayer informs our relationship w ith God. We come
before God in prayer w ith hear ts and mind s focused
on simply li stening to our L eader, our Light , our King
and our L aw. It i s in the contex t of li stening to God, as
we read, study and meditate on the Holy Scr iptures,
that we beg in to di scern the tr ue nature as wel l as
the meaning and value of our prayers. We must never
move away f rom Biblical tr uth as our g uidebook in
learning how to pray and w hat we should pray as we
ser ve the L ord through Hi s mini str y of healing. The
Holy Spir it , w ho w rote the Scr iptures, w i l l open our
eyes and our hear ts as we focus on the Word of God
to know the ways of prayer.
A Day of Renewed Commitment
J. Hudson Taylor, the famous British missionar y who
founded the China Inland Mission, a ministr y which
brought thousands to Christ, exhorted fellow believers
that “The prayer power has never been tried to its full
capacity. If we want to see mighty wonders of divine
power and grace wrought in the place of weakness,
failure and disappointment, let us answer God’s
standing challenge, ‘Call unto me, and I will answer
thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou
knowest not.'” ( Jer. 33:3) For all those called to Jesus’
ministr y of healing , may we begin this day to rededicate
our lives, renewing our commitment to living , working ,
and ministering within the lifestyle that follows Christ’s
loving and powerful example of prayer.
JuLy/auGuST 20192 Sharing A Journal of Christian Healing
The Meaning of Forgive
The word “forgive” means to grant or give pardon to
someone who has offended, hurt or harmed you, who
has sinned or trespassed against you before the offender
has requested pardon. Literally, forgive means to give
before pardon is asked. Forgiveness is the very center
of the gospel message. It is only through God’s giving
of Himself, through the suffering and death of His only
begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that forgiveness from our
offenses against God and others is possible.
Forgiveness: An Unending Response to
God’s Goodness
21 Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall
my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven
times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven
times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22)
W hat exactly did Jesus mean when He directed Peter
to forgive seventy times seven? Although scholars say
Jesus may be referring to a particular prophetic passage
in the Book of Daniel, He is also emphasizing that we
should avoid limitation in the number of times we grant
forgiveness. In one’s life forgiveness must be an ongoing
theme, a daily practice that is never limited in generosity
but continues throughout one’s life as an unending
response to God’s gift of forgiveness through Jesus’
giving of His own life.
An Open
Door to
Healing
Forgiveness:
By The rev. Dr. mara LIeF CraBTree
Part 1 of a 2 part series on Forgiveness
JuLy/auGuST 20192 Sharing A Journal of Christian Healing
3Sharing A Journal of Christian HealingJuLy/auGuST 2019
Forgiveness Before Giving
Jesus clarified that withholding forgiveness from others is
in direct disobedience to the Lord’s teaching. Forgiveness
is of primary importance to those who would be disciples
of Christ, for the act of forgiveness reflects the character
of Christ. This primacy of forgiveness in Jesus’ teaching is
evidenced by His instruction to forgive before we present
our gifts to God. Without our willingness to forgive
others, our time, talents, treasures and ministries are not
acceptable to the Lord: Therefore, if you are offering your gift
at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has
something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.
First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your
gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)
Remembering God’s Generous Forgiveness
of Our Sin
In a stunning parable Jesus clarifies God’s expectations of
those whom He has generously forgiven:
Therefore, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king
who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he had
begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents
was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to
repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife
and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.
So the servants fell to the ground and prostrated himself
before him saying , “Have patience with me and I will repay
you everything.” And the lord of that servant felt compassion
and released him and forgave him the debt. But that servant
went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed
him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to
choke him saying , “Pay back what you owe.” So his fellow
servant… began to plead with him saying , “Have patience
with me and I will repay you.” But he was unwilling… and
threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.
So when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they
were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all
that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to
him, “You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because
you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy
on your fellow servant, in the same way that I had mercy on
you?” (Matthew 18:23-33)
If we withhold forgiveness from those who have harmed
us, then we are forgetting the highest price paid by the
Father’s only begotten Son, who suffered and died for our
forgiveness and freedom from sin against God. W hen we
withhold forgiveness from others, we are forgetting our
own great debt of sin from which God has forgiven us by
treating others with selfishness and arrogance.
Recognizing Our Vulnerability
and Our Pride
Forgiveness of others is a recognition of our own
sinfulness; it is a work of humility indicating we all have
offended and hurt others. W hen we refuse to forgive,
we are placing self-pride fully above the value of right
relationships with others. Pride assumes the attitude that
we are morally superior to others, because we have not
committed the sins others have committed against us. We
must realize our own moral vulnerability and maintain
an attitude of humility; for confronted with certain
temptations, we too may fall prey to sin in ways we never
imagined could happen to us.
Some say, “The sin against me is so great I can never
forgive what that person has done.” Forgiveness is a
matter of volition—an act of the will. The Lord will
never ask us to complete an action without providing the
empowerment of the Holy Spirit needed for obedience
to His will. Everyone has the power to forgive; however,
using the Divine power available to us through the Lord
requires making a choice—a choice to choose God’s way
rather than our own. Corrie ten Boom, the well-known
Dutch Christian, who with her sister Betsie suffered
traumatically at the hands of the Nazis in Ravensbrück
concentration camp, wrote about one of the camp’s
guards who was particularly cruel and at whose hands
Corrie, Betsie and others suffered. Many years after her
imprisonment, this former guard met Corrie, testif ying
that he had become a Christian. He reached out to her,
wanting to shake hands with Corrie. In her mind were
thoughts of the cruel treatment and injustices perpetrated
by this former Nazi. She could not find it within herself
to reach out and shake this man’s hand, yet she knew she
could not deny obedience to the Lord’s teachings about
forgiveness. Feeling weak in her humanity, she prayed for
the Lord to forgive this man through her, to empower
Corrie to reach out her hand and clasp his in forgiveness.
God provided the power and the grace to do this, when in
her humanity she could not find the strength to forgive.
The Bitter “Har vest” of Unforgiveness
It has been said that unforgiveness corrodes every vessel
in which it is contained. One who holds unforgiveness
against another is actually ingesting a deadly moral
poison yet expecting the person who sinned against
them to suffer. In actuality, the one who holds onto
unforgiveness will not be relieved of suffering until they
repent and forgive the wrong committed against them by
another. Living in unforgiveness causes the forfeiture of
spiritual power.
JuLy/auGuST 20194 Sharing A Journal of Christian Healing
The rev. Dr. mara Lief Crabtree, has served as a
chaplain for Tidewater OSL and currently serves
as region 2 representative for virginia Chapters
and as associate Professor of Christian Spirituality,
regent university School of Divinity, virginia
Beach, va.
W hen I forgive others; I’m turning the situation over
to God. I’m not holding on to the offense anymore; I
am giving the entire situation to the Lord. This does
not mean the offense is “swept under the carpet,” the
wrong forgotten or that the persons who committed the
offense will not have to answer ultimately to God for
the wrongdoing. Forgiving releases me from the heavy
emotional and spiritual burden of unforgiveness. W hen
I continue to live in unforgiveness, my prayer life is
hindered. In fact, ever y relationship in my life suffers
in some way; for my heart and mind do not have the
freedom from unforgiveness that expressing love for
God and others requires. W hen I forgive in faith and
obedience to God’s commands in Scripture, I have given
the situation of injustice to the One who deals with
all acts of injustice in His own perfect way. I need no
longer carr y the burden of unforgiveness. W hen I live
in unforgiveness toward another, I “carr y ” them around
with me day and night. W herever I go, whatever I do
and whomever I’m with, that person whom I have not
forgiven stays within my mind, in my memor y and in
my thoughts, creating a sense of inner turmoil. It is as if
I’m emotionally “ handcuffed” to the offender. I cannot
escape; I cannot experience peace and am unable to
move for ward to healing and wholeness.
W hen I forgive the person or persons who offended
me, I’m released from the heavy spiritual and emotional
bondage of unforgiveness. The person who committed
the wrong will have to face the reality of the offense at
some time or another, hopefully sooner than later. God
does not let the injustice pass because the one wronged
has forgiven the offender. He desires the person doing the
wrong to confess their offense, repent and ask forgiveness
from God and from the one whom they offended.
Forgiveness is evidence that we are trusting in the Lord
to heal our hearts and minds from the results of the
offense. Forgiveness does not always result in a healed
relationship with the one who has committed the wrong ,
especially if the offender repents, but then returns
and repeats the previous offense. However, in many
instances when both parties involved are desirous to
reestablish a loving , caring relationship, reconciliation
is possible.
2 Sharing A Journal of Christian Healing
The Blessings of Living in Daily Forgiveness
One has no true freedom in life without practicing the
spiritual discipline of forgiveness. To live in unforgiveness
is to carry the heaviest of spiritual and emotional loads
that weigh down our lives and keep us from experiencing
joy and a depth of love for others, even for those who
have sinned against us. W hen we forgive others willingly,
our love for God and for others greatly increases.
Through forgiveness we also learn to walk in humility,
understanding our imperfections and limitations and the
realizing that we also have hurt others and are capable of
offenses against others in the future. The individual who
walks in the spirit of forgiveness recognizes that he or she
also needs forgiveness from God and from others every
day. As John wrote, “If we say that we have no sin, we are
deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1: 8-9).
We are to forgive all those who have sinned against us,
whether or not we know the person or persons who have
committed the offenses. W hen we pray to forgive those
who have harmed us, asking that they also begin to walk
in the light of all that Jesus taught, we are truly living in
the spirit of unconditional love.
SePTemBer/OCTOBer 2019
An Open
Door to
Healing
Forgiveness:
By The rev. Dr. mara LIeF CraBTree
Part 2 of a 2 part series on Forgiveness
Part 1 of 2 is in the July / August issue of Sharing
3Sharing A Journal of Christian HealingSePTemBer/OCTOBer 2019
Forgiveness should be a daily practice of allowing the
Holy Spirit to examine one’s heart and reveal if there
is any “wicked way ” apparent there, and then move
quickly to forgive others. Forgiveness does not mean
that the person who committed the wrong is no longer
accountable—they remain accountable to God and to
those they have harmed; but the act of forgiveness places
all the issues into God’s hands and frees the forgiver the
from the spiritual corrosion of unforgiveness.
Forgiveness is an Act of the Will
One way we alleviate the difficulty in forgiving others
is to realize that forgiveness is for most an act of one’s
will. It is not primarily a matter of the emotions. We
find it hard to forgive when we allow our emotions to
rule a situation. Struggling with emotions is certainly
a common human response when we have been
betrayed, harmed or traumatized by the actions of
others. The enemy tries to tempt us away from the act
of forgiveness and keep us dwelling on our emotions
rather than moving for ward in volitional obedience to
God’s commands. One characteristic of mature faith is
the ability to yield one’s emotions to the Holy Spirit and
walk in the grace of self-control. So the bottom line is
that emotions take time to heal, but they cannot heal
unless we first forgive as an act of our will.
The Gospels clarif y that forgiveness represents
obedience to the Lord’s will; therefore, actions of
forgiveness indicate that I have made the choice to
honor God’s will in my life and in all my relationships.
The emotional damage that results when I am hurt by
others can be healed, but the need to willingly forgive
as an act of obedience to the Lord has to happen first
before those emotions can be healed.
Jesus’ prayer teaches that we each need to be forg iven
as wel l as to forg ive others: “And forg ive us our
debts, as we also have forg iven our debtors” (Matthew
5:12). In that same passage Jesus emphasizes God’s
graciousness in pardoning those w ho forg ive and
w ithhold s pardon f rom those w ho do not forg ive:
“For if you forg ive others for their transg ressions, your
heavenly Father will also forg ive you. But if you do not
forg ive others, then your Father will not forg ive your
transg ressions” (Matthew 5:14-15).
Forgiveness in the Ministr y of Healing
Healing is often a process, not just a moment in time.
The person who can forgive is free to embrace fully the
will of God and the joy of the Lord in everyday life. The
need to address unforgiveness issues as well as other
unconfessed sin is essential to the ministry and process
of healing prayer.
Dr. Fred Luskin, Director and Cofounder of the Stanford
University forgiveness project and author of the book
Forgive for Good, points to research findings confirming
the issues in physical health and well-being that can
possibly result over time as a person remains in a state
of unforgiveness. Although not all physical illnesses and
diseases are the result of unforgiveness, Luskin’s research
concludes that certain conditions including heart
problems, muscle tension, dizziness, upset stomach,
anxiety, high blood pressure and cancer may occur from
refusing to let go of unforgiveness. Dr. Luskin indicates
that people often hold onto a grudge based on the content
of the hurt experience, rather than moving for ward in a
process to redemptively address the hurt. Often people
holding onto unforgiveness will speak again and again,
often with anger and bitterness, about the person or
persons who have offended them. W hen people continue
in this manner, unforgiveness remains as a barrier to the
reception of many blessings in their lives.
Unconfessed sin deters and blocks the reception of God’s
healing. We cannot withhold forgiveness from others
when God completely, graciously and generously offers
us forgiveness in Jesus Christ. To withhold forgiveness
shows pride and arrogance, grieving the Holy Spirit.
One should be careful never to overlook the need to address
any unforgiveness issues when one is praying alone,
praying with another, or praying in a group for healing.
W hen ministering healing prayer, one should always ask
if the one prayed for is holding unforgiveness against
We cannot withhold
forgiveness from others
when God completely,
graciously and generously
offers us forgiveness in
Jesus Christ.
SePTemBer/OCTOBer 20194 Sharing A Journal of Christian Healing
The rev. Dr. mara Lief Crabtree, has served as a
chaplain for Tidewater OSL and currently serves
as region 2 representative for virginia Chapters
and as associate Professor of Christian Spirituality,
regent University School of Divinity, virginia
Beach, va.
others, inviting them to pray the prayer of forgiveness
and thus remove the spiritual blockage to healing caused
by unforgiveness. How often is this essential step in
healing prayer overlooked? Holding unforgiveness not
only opens one to a plethora of spiritual, mental, and
physical illnesses—even diseases—but also inhibits the
lifelong process of spiritual formation, conformation to
God’s will, and transformation by the renewing of the
mind. Resentment, bitterness and judgmental thoughts
toward those who have sinned against us, all stemming
from unforgiveness, do irreparable harm to a person’s life
unless one confesses unforgiveness, repents, and moves
for ward to live in forgiveness toward others.
W hen a person has suffered great hurt or trauma at the
hands of others, one must pray for the gift of God’s grace
in reaching out to forgive the offenders. This may involve
much prayer over time—a healing process. One woman
who had suffered sexual abuse from family members in her
youth stated that when God made it clear she must forgive
her abusers, she described the process of forgiveness as
having many layers of healing, which were addressed
prayerfully over time. Daily she would pray continuously,
asking God for the grace to forgive completely those
who had harmed her. During this process she began to
experience freedom from the hurt, the pain, the sense of
betrayal and the traumatic memories of the abuse. She did
not forget that sinful events had happened; but through
forgiveness the events of the trauma had no more power
over her, spiritually or emotionally.
The pinnacle of forgiveness is expressed by Jesus who,
when suffering the horrible torture of crucifixion, spoke
to his Father with the words, “Father, forgive them; for
they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Stephen, one of the church’s first deacons, when falsely
accused of wrong and attacked by an opposition group
with the intent to kill him, quickly responded with the
true spirit of forgiveness: “They went on stoning Stephen
as he called on the Lord and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit!’ Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud
voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’” (Acts 7:
59-60).
These examples indicate a perfection in the grace of
forgiveness: forgiveness not withheld but given with
great compassion for the humanity and weakness of the
wrongdoers. Those who administer healing in Jesus’
name must live that same discipline of forgiving quickly,
expressing humility by letting go of wrongs, manifesting
compassion for the wrongdoers and praying for them
to know the peace of repentance and the fullness of
joy that is only possible when one lives in a spirit of
forgiveness to all.
