I was mentally, emotionally and verbally abused by my father as far back as I can remember until I left home at the age of eighteen

We've all got our own brand of problems. You can be pitiful or powerful. Take your pick.

Just deciding to forgive isn't enough because willpower alone won't work - we need divine strength from God. As He gives us the strength, we need to pray for our enemies and bless them. Praying for those who have hurt us is vital to successfully forgiving them.

We suffer much agony because we try to get from people what only God can give us, which is a sense of worth and value. Look to God for what you need, not to people.

Freedom is not letting your yesterday affect your today.

If you're holding on to an offense, then you haven't forgiven the person who hurt you. Unforgiveness finds excuses to talk about what people have done to us, and we'll tell anyone who will listen. There's a difference between sharing your testimony to help someone and talking about what's been done to you because you are angry about it.

Genuine thanksgiving is a response to both who God is and what He has done, is doing, and will do.