Grace Between Us: A 7-Day Journey to Mutual Forgiveness

📖 Introduction

The bond between a mother and daughter is powerful. It's rooted in love, but sometimes tangled by pain. Misunderstandings, unmet expectations, harsh words, or unhealed trauma can slowly build a wall between two hearts that were meant to be inseparable.

Maybe you’re a mom who carries guilt from years past—or a daughter who still aches from wounds left unspoken. Perhaps you've both tried to move on, but something continues to tug you back to old hurts. If so, this Bible study is for you. And HolyJot is here to walk with you.

HolyJot isn’t just a digital journal—it’s a sacred space for grace-filled honesty, where mothers and daughters can process hurt, pray together, and journal side-by-side. Using this study, you’ll not only reflect on God’s Word, but you’ll each have space in HolyJot to write your prayers, confessions, memories, or even journal back and forth to one another. Think of it as a shared altar, where healing begins.

You don’t have to fix everything overnight. But you do need to begin. Each of the next 7 days will walk you through a journey of:

• Understanding the biblical foundation of forgiveness
• Speaking truth in love
• Listening with grace
• Confessing, releasing, and rebuilding trust

Set aside time daily—just 20 minutes can change everything. Journal individually, then come together and talk through each day’s reflections. Some days will be tender. Others will bring freedom. All of them will draw you closer—to God, and to each other.

📅 Day 1: Why Forgive?

📖 Primary Scripture:

Colossians 3:12–14 (NIV)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

📖 Supporting Scripture:

Matthew 6:14–15 (NIV)

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.

📚 Devotional:

Forgiveness doesn’t come naturally. Especially when the hurt runs deep or when the person who wounded you is someone you love—someone who was supposed to protect you. For mothers and daughters, the sting of broken trust can carry forward for years.

But here’s what God reminds us: we forgive not because the other person deserves it, but because God forgave us first.

Paul calls believers to "clothe yourselves" in grace-filled attitudes—not because it's easy, but because it's essential for unity. Unforgiveness becomes a weight on our souls and a wedge in our relationships. Forgiveness isn’t forgetting or excusing—it’s releasing the right to retaliate and entrusting the offense to Jesus.

For mothers and daughters, this means looking at each other not through the lens of the past, but through the mercy of the cross. The same grace that saved you can heal this relationship too.

Use HolyJot today to begin this journey. Write down what forgiveness means to you. Journal a prayer, a pain, or a hope. Then, if you’re ready, talk together. There is grace between you.

🖊️ Journal Questions (in HolyJot or together):

For Mom:

• What’s one way God has forgiven me that still humbles me?
• Is there a moment from our past I haven’t truly released?

For Daughter:

• How has unforgiveness affected the way I see my mom?
• What’s something I wish she understood about my hurt?

Together (optional):

• What would it look like if grace shaped our relationship starting today?

🙏 Prayer (Pray aloud or write it together in HolyJot):

Jesus, You forgave us freely and fully. Help us begin this journey with hearts softened by Your grace. We don’t want to carry bitterness any longer. Teach us how to forgive the way You forgave us—with compassion, humility, and love. Heal what’s been broken between us and help us take one step closer—together. Amen.

📅 Day 2: Naming the Hurt

📖 Primary Scripture:

Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV)

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

📖 Supporting Scripture:

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.

📚 Devotional:

Healing begins with honesty. We cannot forgive what we refuse to acknowledge. David, in Psalm 139, invites God to search the deepest parts of his soul—not just his actions, but his anxious thoughts and unspoken wounds.

Mothers and daughters often carry silent hurts. A look. A phrase. A season of distance. Maybe it was something said in anger. Maybe something left unsaid. These hidden wounds, if left unspoken, quietly erode trust and affection.

Today is about naming the hurt—not to blame, but to begin healing.

This might be uncomfortable. It takes courage to say, “When you said/did ___, I felt ___. And it stayed with me.” It takes humility to hear that without defense. But naming the pain creates space for grace.

Use HolyJot today to write a private entry or a shared message. Moms: write what hurt from your daughter stung deeply. Daughters: write what moment with your mom left a scar. Don’t minimize it, and don’t rush. Be gentle, but honest. Then talk and listen—with open ears, not rebuttals.

Let the goal be connection, not correction.

🖊️ Journal Questions (in HolyJot or together):

For Mom:

• What’s one moment in our relationship that still brings me sadness or regret?
• How might I have unintentionally hurt my daughter?

For Daughter:

• What memory do I carry that I’ve never voiced?
• How can I speak truth today without dishonoring my mom?

Together (optional):

• What words or phrases can we use today that promote safety and healing?

🙏 Prayer (Pray aloud or write it in HolyJot):

Father, You see what we try to hide. You know the hurts we’ve carried in silence. Give us the courage to speak honestly and the grace to listen gently. Let today mark a turning point—where truth opens the door to reconciliation. Heal our hearts as we open them to You and to one another. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

📅 Day 3: Understanding Each Other’s Perspective

📖 Primary Scripture:

James 1:19 (NIV)

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…

📖 Supporting Scripture:

Philippians 2:3–4 (NIV)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

📚 Devotional:

One of the greatest gifts we can give each other in healing is empathy. Hurt often festers because we only see our side of the story—our pain, our disappointment, our unmet needs. But humility invites us to listen without defensiveness and to consider the other’s point of view.

James calls us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. That doesn’t mean bottling up our voice, but prioritizing understanding over being understood.

Today’s invitation is simple, but sacred: slow down and step into each other’s shoes. Let your HolyJot entries be a space where you try to retell a painful moment—from the other’s perspective. Write as if you are your mom. Or write as if you are your daughter. What might they have been feeling? What pressures were they under? What pain were they carrying?

You might be surprised at what God reveals.

This day isn't about minimizing hurt—it's about humanizing the person who caused it. That’s how Jesus loves us: fully aware of our sin, yet deeply compassionate toward our stories.

🖊️ Journal Questions (in HolyJot or together):

For Mom:

• What was my daughter navigating at the time I hurt her?
• How might I have misunderstood her words or actions?

For Daughter:

• What pressures or fears might my mom have been facing during that season?
• Have I assumed the worst of her motives?

Together (optional):

• Can we pause today to affirm: “I see you. I hear you. I want to understand more.”

🙏 Prayer (Pray aloud or write it in HolyJot):

Lord Jesus, You didn’t just tell us You love us—you stepped into our world to understand us. Help us to love like You. Give us listening ears and softened hearts. Break down walls of assumption, and replace them with understanding. Let today deepen our compassion for each other. Amen.

📅 Day 4: Confessing & Owning My Part

📖 Primary Scripture:

1 John 1:8–9 (NIV)

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

📖 Supporting Scripture:

Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

📚 Devotional:

There comes a moment in every healing journey where we must look inward. Even when we feel justified in our hurt—even when much of the blame seems to lie with the other—there’s always something we can own.

Confession is powerful. It disarms defensiveness. It opens the heart for trust to grow. It says, “I’m not here to protect my pride—I’m here to protect our relationship.”

Today, use HolyJot to write an honest confession to one another. Moms: Maybe you were too harsh. Maybe you pulled away emotionally when she needed you present. Daughters: Maybe you used cutting words. Maybe you shut her out or rejected her attempts at connection.

Don’t make excuses. Don’t deflect. Just own what’s yours. And ask for forgiveness.

This step will require courage and humility—but it brings you both closer to the grace of restoration.

🖊️ Journal Questions (in HolyJot or together):

For Mom:

• What have I said or done that I now recognize as hurtful?
• What do I need to ask my daughter’s forgiveness for?

For Daughter:

• Where have I been unfair, unkind, or closed off to my mom?
• Am I willing to say, “I was wrong. Will you forgive me?”

Together (optional):

• How can we each take responsibility for our part in the brokenness?

🙏 Prayer (Pray aloud or write in HolyJot):

Father, You already know our hearts. We don’t confess to inform You—we confess to free ourselves. Give us the strength to admit where we’ve gone wrong. Help us to receive forgiveness with humility and offer it with grace. Create in both of us clean hearts, Lord, and begin a new work of healing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

📅 Day 5: Releasing the Debt

📖 Primary Scripture:

Matthew 18:21–22, 27–35 (NIV)

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” …
The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.
He grabbed him and began to choke him. “Pay back what you owe me!” he demanded…
Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?”

📖 Supporting Scripture:

Ephesians 4:31–32 (NIV)

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger…
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

📚 Devotional:

Forgiveness is more than a feeling—it’s a decision to release the debt someone owes us. In Jesus’ parable, the forgiven servant refuses to extend the same mercy he received. His unforgiveness reveals that he never truly grasped the grace given to him.

We often say “I forgive,” but secretly hold onto resentment, rehearsing the wrongs done to us. Forgiveness doesn’t mean the pain didn’t matter—it means we no longer demand payment for the hurt.

Today, write down (in HolyJot or on paper) the specific offense you’ve been holding against each other. Be honest but gentle. Then—physically or symbolically—tear it up. Burn it. Delete it. Lay it down. Whatever you do, make it tangible.

You’re not saying the hurt wasn’t real. You’re declaring that grace is greater.

🖊️ Journal Questions (in HolyJot or together):

For Mom:

• What pain am I still carrying that I need to fully release?
• What does it mean to cancel this debt and let go?

For Daughter:

• Have I been waiting for a “better apology” before forgiving?
• How does remembering how much Jesus forgave me help me forgive my mom?

Together (optional):

• What new story do we want to start now that the old debt is gone?

🙏 Prayer (Pray aloud or write in HolyJot):

Lord Jesus, You didn’t just forgive us in word—You forgave us with Your life. Help us now to release each other from the burden of past wounds. We no longer want to hold each other hostage to old pain. Thank You for releasing us. We choose to forgive today, just as You forgave us. Amen.

📅 Day 6: Rebuilding Trust

📖 Primary Scripture:

1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

📖 Supporting Scripture:

Proverbs 17:9 (NIV)

Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,
but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

📚 Devotional:

Forgiveness is an event. Trust is a process.

Even after we’ve said, “I forgive you,” the path forward can feel fragile. The past might try to resurface. Doubt can creep in. Old patterns might whisper, “Things will never change.”

But God calls us to “love each other deeply.” That kind of love is committed—it doesn’t bail when things feel awkward or slow. It chooses to protect, believe, and press forward.

Today is about rebuilding. That starts with small acts of consistency. Words that match actions. Conversations that stay open. A willingness to revisit hard moments with gentleness and grace.

Use HolyJot to brainstorm together: What habits, routines, or boundaries can you both build into your relationship to foster closeness and rebuild trust? Schedule check-ins. Create a shared gratitude log. Set healthy rhythms that reinforce love and safety.

You’re not rebuilding what was. You’re building something new—stronger, deeper, Christ-centered.

🖊️ Journal Questions (in HolyJot or together):

For Mom:

• What can I do to make my daughter feel emotionally safe again?
• What kind of consistency can I commit to this week?

For Daughter:

• What small acts from my mom would help me rebuild trust?
• How can I show I’m willing to meet her halfway?

Together (optional):

• What daily or weekly habits can we start to grow our relationship with intentionality?

🙏 Prayer (Pray aloud or write in HolyJot):

God, we want more than a moment of peace—we want lasting restoration. Teach us how to rebuild trust, one word, one moment, one day at a time. Help us love deeply, just as You have loved us. Let our relationship be a testimony of healing and grace. Amen.

📅 Day 7: Walking Forward Together

📖 Primary Scripture:

Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

📖 Supporting Scripture:

Micah 6:8 (NIV)

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

📚 Devotional:

You’ve faced truth. You’ve chosen grace. You’ve forgiven and confessed and listened. Today marks a new beginning—not a perfect relationship, but a redeemed one.

Walking forward together means inviting the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in your relationship. Love that chooses. Joy that laughs again. Peace that soothes old wounds. Patience when progress feels slow. Kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—all vital for the road ahead.

Micah 6:8 gives a beautiful blueprint: Act justly (do what’s right even when it’s hard), love mercy (extend grace generously), and walk humbly (keep learning, keep listening, keep leaning on God).

Use HolyJot today to reflect and celebrate. Look back at what God has done over the last 6 days. Write each other a blessing. Journal how you’ll continue forward—from this place of grace.

This isn’t the end. It’s the start of a new rhythm together.

🖊️ Journal Questions (in HolyJot or together):

For Mom:

• What fruit of the Spirit do I most want to cultivate in our relationship?
• How can I model humble love to my daughter moving forward?

For Daughter:

• What has this week healed in my heart?
• What commitment can I make to nourish our relationship?

Together (optional):

• What is one thing we want to hold onto from this journey, and one new tradition we want to start?

🙏 Final Prayer (Pray aloud or write together in HolyJot):

Holy Spirit, thank You for leading us through this week of healing. We are not the same—we are freer, softer, stronger together. Grow Your fruit in us as we walk forward in love. Remind us often that grace is always available and that healing is never wasted. Help us walk in mercy, justice, and humility—not just for these 7 days, but for a lifetime. In Jesus’ name, Amen.