"Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

Acts 7:59-60, And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" And having said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen shows us the mind of Christ, for even when he was being stoned, no doubt in incredible suffering, he was able to ask the Lord to forgive them as did Christ. Jesus makes it very clear that forgiveness is essential to our spiritual health; forgiving didn’t make the pain go away, nor did it stop the stones. Perhaps I need to examine my own attitudes about forgiving others?

I know that I cannot forgive like this on my own; I need Your strength, O Lord. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."