The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

When we come to the part in the Lord’s Prayer about forgiveness, it seems to get our minds questioning whether this is a “What goes around comes around” statement, or an act of “modeling love.”

If we are expecting God to only forgive us as we are forgiving, we may not get much forgiveness. And where does this leave the concept of God’s “unconditional love”?

Maybe we should use God’s promises of forgiveness as examples for us in how we should practice forgiveness in our relationships with others. Just as we have asked for God to provide us with daily bread, if we look at how God forgives us for our debts/transgressions/trespasses each and every day, maybe we will be inclined to forgive someone today.

Prayer

Make me grateful for Your forgiveness of my shortcomings, so that I will be able to forgive someone else for how they have shorted me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.