Week 12: Forgiving the Unforgivable

He had every reason to hate.

A Somali Muslim man carried unspeakable pain in his heart. Years earlier, members of a
rival tribe had slaughtered his parents, two brothers, and one sister. The wounds ran deep.

His heart burned with hatred. For years, he plotted revenge. Every day, he cursed the killers, speaking death and destruction over them.

Then one day, a friend of Pastor Emmanuel placed a simple book in his hands — *The
Awesome Power of Blessing*. Curious, he began to read.

What he discovered shook him to the core. The book spoke of blessing instead of cursing, forgiveness instead of vengeance, life instead of death. He read how words have power, and that when we bless our enemies, we partner with the purposes of God.
Something began to shift inside him.

He found himself doing the unthinkable: speaking blessings over those he had once hated.

He began to pray for them. And then, God began to move.

The man gave his life to Jesus Christ. In the days that followed, God spoke to him in dreams:

*“Forgive your enemies.”* The call was clear — and so was his response.

He went to the very people who had caused him so much grief. He looked them in the eyes and forgave them. The result was astonishing. One of the men — his greatest enemy — became one of his closest friends. Doors of blessing began to open in every area of his life.

What once was a heart full of bitterness became a fountain of grace.

This one transformed life is now bearing fruit among many other Muslim people who are also reading *The Awesome Power of Blessing*. God is using the simple act of blessing to do the impossible—even reconciling enemies.

And it all began with a blessing.

Scriptural Anchors
• Matthew 5:44 – “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you…”
• Romans 12:14 – “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
• Genesis 50:20 – “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…”
• Proverbs 18:21 – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”