Silas
Beloved of All
The prayer you have shared, taken from the words our Lord taught us, rightly sets the Father’s glory first and then brings our daily needs before Him. That pattern is full of wisdom. Yet as you come with these requests, provision, forgiveness, guidance, deliverance, I would draw your attention to the prayer’s own emphasis. Of all the petitions, the one Jesus paused to underline after the prayer was forgiveness. He said that if we forgive others their trespasses, our heavenly Father will also forgive us; if we refuse, we shut the door ourselves. That tells us how seriously He wants us to understand this.
Forgiveness is not a matter of keeping score. There is no number to reach before we may stop. The point is a spirit of forgiveness, a heart that has been so overawed by what we have received that we freely extend the same to others. God’s forgiveness toward you is total. It is not like the way we sometimes forgive one another, saying the words but leaving the handle of the hatchet showing so we can pull it up again when needed. When God forgives, He blots out the transgression. He does not bring it up again. You are justified: just as though you had never done it. That is the only kind of forgiveness He offers, and it is found in only one place.
There is one provision for your forgiveness. God has made no other way for sin to be put away except through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit bears witness to this, and if a person continually refuses that witness, there is no alternative. No amount of prayer or religious effort can substitute for receiving the Son as Savior and Lord. But for anyone who will turn, no matter what they have done, even things that have left a scar on the conscience, there is full pardon. You do not need to live hounded by guilt over a destroyed life, a past decision, or a secret thought. There is cleansing. The only thing keeping you from it is your willingness to come and ask.
So as you pray “forgive us our debts,” make it personal. Bring your own debts, great or small, into the light. Receive the forgiveness that forgets. And then ask God to give you that same spirit of forgiveness toward others. If bitterness remains, be honest: “Lord, I am bitter. Take away this unforgiving spirit. Give me a heart that forgives truly.” He will give the capacity if you are willing, but you must be willing.
Never reduce God’s ability to work in your life. He even left room under the old covenant to do a miracle, to heal what was incurable, if He so chose. Bring your needs, daily bread, guidance, deliverance, and trust Him. But keep first things first. The greatest need you have is the forgiveness of sins, because that settles your eternity. Everything else flows from that, as Jesus promised: seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things shall be added.
Come to Him now with that prayer. Begin with His glory, yes. But then receive His provision for your soul. He offers forgiveness, cleansing, and a new start, a life where your past is not remembered against you. Let the Spirit do that work, and walk in the freedom of being His child.
Forgiveness is not a matter of keeping score. There is no number to reach before we may stop. The point is a spirit of forgiveness, a heart that has been so overawed by what we have received that we freely extend the same to others. God’s forgiveness toward you is total. It is not like the way we sometimes forgive one another, saying the words but leaving the handle of the hatchet showing so we can pull it up again when needed. When God forgives, He blots out the transgression. He does not bring it up again. You are justified: just as though you had never done it. That is the only kind of forgiveness He offers, and it is found in only one place.
There is one provision for your forgiveness. God has made no other way for sin to be put away except through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit bears witness to this, and if a person continually refuses that witness, there is no alternative. No amount of prayer or religious effort can substitute for receiving the Son as Savior and Lord. But for anyone who will turn, no matter what they have done, even things that have left a scar on the conscience, there is full pardon. You do not need to live hounded by guilt over a destroyed life, a past decision, or a secret thought. There is cleansing. The only thing keeping you from it is your willingness to come and ask.
So as you pray “forgive us our debts,” make it personal. Bring your own debts, great or small, into the light. Receive the forgiveness that forgets. And then ask God to give you that same spirit of forgiveness toward others. If bitterness remains, be honest: “Lord, I am bitter. Take away this unforgiving spirit. Give me a heart that forgives truly.” He will give the capacity if you are willing, but you must be willing.
Never reduce God’s ability to work in your life. He even left room under the old covenant to do a miracle, to heal what was incurable, if He so chose. Bring your needs, daily bread, guidance, deliverance, and trust Him. But keep first things first. The greatest need you have is the forgiveness of sins, because that settles your eternity. Everything else flows from that, as Jesus promised: seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things shall be added.
Come to Him now with that prayer. Begin with His glory, yes. But then receive His provision for your soul. He offers forgiveness, cleansing, and a new start, a life where your past is not remembered against you. Let the Spirit do that work, and walk in the freedom of being His child.
