40 Important Bible Verses About Holding Grudges

To hold grudge is to have a strong feeling of resentment and bitterness towards a person that have offended you. It seem normal to hold anger towards those that have offended us, it is a natural feeling for humans. But as followers of Christ, we’ve been urged by Christ to purge ourselves from every ill feeling, forgiving one another as Christ forgave us. When we earnestly follow the footsteps of Christ, we will realize he forgave everyone who offended him, Peter his disciple, Judas Iscariot his betrayer, those who crucified him on the cross of Calvary and many others. Jesus forgave his offenders before they did him wrong. Join us in this blog as we explore some Bible verses that will help us keep our hearts clean and off from any form of hatred.

Holding grudges against people doesn’t make you strong, it makes you very bitter. And as a Christian, it weakens your spiritual life, especially your prayer life. Praying may become difficult because while trying to reach out to heaven, the heart would be heavy, filled with corruptible thoughts of revenge and wickedness. This is why it is important we cultivate the habit of forgiving one another. Forgiving those that offend us doesn’t make us weak, it brings ultimate peace and makes us feel light. Forgiving does not mean forgetting, it entails not remembering the wrong done with bitterness in the heart. Forgiving our offenders unblocks our blessings and keep us at peace with God. There are so many blessing packed in forgiving one another.

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What Does The Bible Say About Holding Grudges?

The Bible have given us strict instructions on forgiveness. Forgiveness is  repeated in many scriptures in the Bible. Matthew 6:14-15 says “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins”. This passage gives us clear understanding on one of the benefits of forgiving one another, when we forgive our offenders, same act will be reciprocated to us by God, he will forgive us of our sins. However, to have a forgiving heart, we have to seek help from God. We have to consciously ask him for grace to be able to forgive others, forgiveness is divine. Here are some powerful and important Bible verses that will guild us through when we get offended by our brethren;

Bible Verses About Holding Grudges

1. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. – Leviticus 19:18
2. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. – Ephesians 4:31-32
3. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. – Matthew 6:14-15
4. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord Forgive as the Lord forgave you. – Colossians 3:13
5. Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. – Proverbs 10:12
6. My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. – James 1:19-20
7. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. – Romans 12:19
8. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. – 1 Corinthians 13:5
9. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. – Mark 11:25
10. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. – Psalms 37:8
11. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. – 1 Peter 3:9
12. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. – Luke 6:37
13. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
14. Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. – Hebrews 12:14-15
15. A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. – Proverbs 15:1
16. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever. – Psalms 103:8-9
17. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. – Ecclesiastes 7:9
18. To slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. – Titus 3:2
19. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep. – Acts 7:59-60
20. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. – Genesis 50:20-21
21. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. – 1 John 2:9
22. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:21
23. So watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them. – Luke 17:3-4
24. Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. – Proverbs 17:9
25. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. – Galatians 5:14-15
26. I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. – Isaiah 43:25
27. Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. – Micah 7:18
28. Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. – Psalms 55:22
29. This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other. – Zechariah 7:9-10

Bible Verses About Holding Grudges and Forgiveness

1. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? – James 4:11-12
2. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: – Ephesians 4:26
3. The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. – Proverbs 19:11
4. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. – John 13:34-35
5. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. – Matthew 18:21-22
6. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. – Luke 6:31
7. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. – James 2:12-13
8. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. – Matthew 5:7
9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9
10. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. – Exodus 20:16
11. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. – Colossians 3:8

Prayers For Grace To Forgive

Heavenly Father, I come to you this day because I know that as  human, forgiveness is hard, but I ask that you give me the grace and open my heart to forgive those who trespass against me. Help me to cultivate your character when dealing with those who have offended me, In Jesus name, Amen.

My Abba Father, I ask in the name of Jesus that you remove every form of bitterness in my heart against my offenders, help me to always dwell in the love and joy that comes from above. Create in me a clean heart Lord and take not thy Holy Spirit from me, amen.