How We Pray "The LORD’s Prayer"

Week Four

Monday

"AND FORGIVE US . . ." Psalm 130:1-8

Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism, explains this petition, the Fifth Petition, to mean: "We ask in this prayer that our Father in heaven would not hold our sins against us and because of them refuse to hear our prayer. And we pray that he would give us everything by grace, for we sin every day and deserve nothing but punishment. So we on our part will heartily forgive and gladly do good to those who sin againstus." In the Fourth Petition Jesus taught us to pray for our daily physical needs, asking to receive God’s daily blessings materially (bread); in this petition we ask for and share the spiritual blessing of forgiveness. Bread (what it symbolizes) satisfies our physical need; forgiveness satisfies our deepest spiritual need – to be reconciled with God and with others.

Tuesday

". . . OUR TRESPASSES . . ." Psalm 32:1-5

This word "trespasses" is an unusual word, even though we pray it all the time when we pray the Lord’s Prayer. Other translations of the prayer use other words, such as: "debts," "wrongs," "sins." It indicates a relationship with God, and with others, that is not right. Alvin Rogness, writes in his book, LIVING IN THE KINGDOM: "In one sense this is the most important prayer of all. Sin is like a wall separating us from God and from one another, and forgiveness shatters that wall. Now, forgiven of God, I pray for the grace to forgive others and to be forgiven of others." This petition is a kind of confession, admitting that we have fallen short of God’s expectation of us in our relationship With God and one another.

Wednesday

". . . FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES . . ."  Matthew 9:2-8

No Empty Phrases: The Lord’s Prayer and You, "What this petition in the Lord’s Prayer has taught me over the years about (people), and myself, is this: most of us do not need to be hammered with our sins. Our sins have a way of pounding us all by themselves! What we do need to experience is the reality of a God whose purpose and joy it is not just to create us, or to feed us, but who wants us to live our lives free and clear. What Jesus is holding up for us to remember…is that this is the kind of God we have a Father, a Giver of the first order. He is a God, who, as part of the basic stuff of life, has forgiveness as one of the gifts that is to be ours!" Thanks be to God!

Thursday

". . . AS WE FORGIVE . . ." Matthew 6:14-15

Not only do we ask to receive forgiveness, from God and others, but we ask in this petition that we might give it as well. Forgiveness is "for-giving." Have you ever heard Someone say, "I can never forgive him, her, them"? This petition tells us that there is a relationship between our receiving forgiveness and our giving forgiveness. This petition is sound advice on how to deal with the past that none of us can change. We can’t forget it. We can’t bury it. And the person(s) who has(have) wronged us, sinned against us, can’t change the past either. That too is there forever. Forgiveness, though, is a spiritual step that can change and heal the relationship. Jesus is teaching us in this petition, that if we cannot give forgiveness, it’s hard to receive God’s forgiveness.

Friday

". . . THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US . . ."   Psalm 103:6-14

This petition has a dual nature. We may like the first half where we ask God to forgive us, but feel somewhat uncomfortable with the second half where we ask God to help us forgive others -- or even more strongly, to forgive us as we forgive others. Jesus knew that our relationship with God is healed, made whole, through God’s grace and forgiveness. Jesus also knew that human relationships are healed, and made whole, by our willingness to forgive. Forgiveness is not easy. In fact, initially it may seem even more painful than the wrongs and wounds we suffer. And yet, there is no peace or harmony without forgiveness. The first step is simply to accept God’s promise to give us forgiveness, and then be willing ourselves to give forgiveness.

Saturday

". . . THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US . . ."   Ephesians 4:25-27

Where or how does the expression of forgiveness for those who have wronged and hurt us begin? It begins by dealing with the anger that comes when someone has wronged us. Unfortunately, in the lives of people, we often see more anger than true examples of forgiveness. Anger and attack is a more worldly and easier response than forgiveness. Our "old nature" – our nature according to Adam, rather than Christ – causes this in us. Forgiveness does not mean that we ignore or suppress our anger, but recognize it, and admit it. It means to pray, "I’m angry, God, help me turn away from it and forgive." Jesus calls us to follow him, and his way of love and forgiveness, rather than the way of Adam, the worldly way, the way of hostility and conflict. Forgiveness always begins the path to healing.