Customer Reviews

Prayer of Revenge: Forgiveness in the Face of Injustice

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"I have always believed that not every book is meant for every reader. The Prayer of Revenge may very well be the exception to this rule. . . . The Prayer of Revenge is applicable whether the reader is dealing with severe trauma (rape, adultery, molestation, death of a child), global issues (terrorism, fear) or more personal issues (backstabbing co-workers, slandering neighbors). . . . Schmidt treats the harshest of subjects with enormous sensitivity and uses appropriate humor to make his book not only practical but enjoyable. If you've ever felt the heat of anger creep up your neck, you will find this book a soothing balm for your soul. . . ."

Louise Bergmann DuMont

The Prayer Of Revenge: Forgiveness In The Face Of Injustice by Doug Schmidt grapples with the difficult question of how anyone can truly forgive criminal offenders who exhibit no remorse for the hurt and harm they have done. Deftly examining the need to balance the demands of justice with the nonviolent teachings of Jesus Christ, as well as the conundrum of a benevolent God's role in a world wracked by the depravity of Man, The Prayer Of Revenge is a motivational and thought-provoking exploration of how Christian forgiveness and the demands of God's justice can exist in harmony.

With sensitivity and compassion, Doug Schmidt, in The Prayer of Revenge: Forgiveness in the Face of Injustice, takes a complex and often difficult to understand concept and effectively addresses the problem of hurt and pain in the world. Drawing on many Biblical examples and personal experience, Schmidt discusses the injustices we experience in life and offers direction on how to move forward in life with healing and hope.

The Prayer of Revenge directs our attention to the unhealthy temptation we often have when hurt by another to seek our own revenge and the enormous and destructive energy that comes when we withhold forgiveness and points to our need to have confidence in the justice of God, instead of taking justice into our own hands.

There are several nuggets of wisdom throughout the book that help guide the reader through the forgiveness process:

"Our inability or unwillingness to forgive...is directly related to a low level of confidence that God will one day have the final word on the person's harmful behavior."

"Most people think that granting forgiveness is simply a blank check to allow the offender back into their lives simply to trample on their heart again. Nothing could be further from the truth."

"Forgiveness includes that we are powerless to collect on certain debts and that we must trust God to balance the books."

"Forgiveness, when it is done well, is always a unilateral action - we should be moving in the direction of forgiveness regardless of the person's response to responsible confrontation."

Schmidt then concludes by inviting those who have been offended by others to examine themselves as offenders and apply the same grace to themselves that they have offered. Then, when we have worked through our hurt, we move from pain to peace. This powerful book is highly recommended to all those who experience hurt in life.

Forgiveness from a Christian perspective. This book oozes compassion. Doug Schmidt shares honestly what God has to say about forgiveness. Highly recommended.

After being incredibly wounded by a friend who refused to acknowledge what she had done, I ran across this book by sheer providence. It helped me sort out the maze of feelings I was having--hatred, revenge, a need to forgive, an attempt at reconciliation. This book does an excellent job of helping the reader see the difference between forgiveness (commanded by Jesus-we have no choice) and reconciliation (the long, hard-working process of trying to make things right again). The two are not the same, and just because you've forgiven someone doesn't mean that reconciliation is always possible.

I would recommend this book for anyone struggling with, "I'll forgive, but do I have to open myself to be wounded again?"

[...]

One of the most interesting aspects of parental abuse survivor Doug Schmidt's spiritual exploration is a prescription for how to pray to God for revenge. Another interesting aspect is references to entertainment such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, which he criticizes as anti-religious with some justification--Star Trek: Deep Space Nine does it better, and events such as Timothy McVeigh's execution.