PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 6
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12)
I am highlighting this petition because Jesus hightlights it (v.14).
It is a scary thought, that God forgives us just like we forgive others!
It is like praying ‘love us as we love others’.
Or ‘be as generous to us, as we are to others’.
One thing to recall is that this prayer assumes God’s forgiveness first.
Think about Jesus’s parable of the unmerciful servant (Mathew 18:21-35).
The servant is forgiven a HUGE debt, but refuses to forgive a small one.
He is forgiven, but then refuses to forgive, and loses his forgiveness.
God has graced us, and wants us to grace others too.
This prayer is reminding us that we live by grace, and others do too.
If we forget about God’s grace, and refuse to show it, we lose it.
We burn the bridge that we need to connect with God ourselves.
I pray this prayer as a reminder of grace, and a commitment to grace.
‘Help me forgive others, as you have forgiven me!’
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, keep on reminding me how much you have forgiven me. May your grace to me and to others be greater than my own feeble grace to myself and others.
Hi there.
Just a question or perhaps a comment..
Once we give ourselves over to Jesus we are forgiven, adopted, chosen…it says in Ephesians. So this then means that we STAY forgiven??? even though as frail humans we can’t always forgive others, even though we may want to.
Forgiving may be a process.. and it can take time… . In our heart we know we will forgive.. but at the moment some things just hurt to much… and we need time to deal with the pain.
I know God understands that and uses these times to stretch us for His service.. Because He loves us and we are His.
Good question. God’s forgiving us is not the concern. Struggling with forgiveness is not the problem either. What I sense Jesus speaking of is the hardened refusal to forgive, the person who becomes consumed by bitterness and pursues revenge. I like the way you put it: ‘In our heart we know we will forgive.. but at the moment some things just hurt to much… and we need time to deal with the pain.’ This is what Jesus wants to work out in us in time, as we grow in our relationship with him. We cannot release ourselves, we need help. Through Jesus we are released (the actual meaning of the word forgive in Greek) immediately from the sin and guilt of unforgiveness (justification), and over time from the struggle and grip of unforgiveness (sanctification). God allows us to work this out in time, but does want us to be willing partners in this process.