Matthew 6:12-15
[12] and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [14] For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, [15] but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
As you read the passage, what blessed you, challenged you, or raised questions?
Head: How has God forgiven you of your sin?
Heart: When is it hard to forgive people?
Hands: Do you think forgiveness means that you have to be best friends with everyone?
A line in a well-known hymns goes like this: "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love." Our daily reality is that we will do things in both action and thought that require us to ask for forgiveness.
Jesus teaches us to pray often for forgiveness, and also intentionally forgive others, as well. As you pray this prayer, ask God to help you to have more and more of a genuine heart that reflects this prayer.
This reminds us of the parable of the ungrateful servant. A man was forgiven a debt of an unpayable amount, which in today's worth would have been millions of dollars. But he later refused to forgive his servant of a debt of a few thousand dollars. Such a heart shows that the first man does not really understand or embrace the forgiveness he has first received from his master.
Let's show God the grateful heart for His forgiveness by intentionally forgiving others. If we want to do this in a sincere way, we need to regularly be asking for forgiveness and experiencing Christ's forgiveness often.
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Devotional Guide:
1) Pray for understanding in your mind, for trust in your heart, and for powerful obedience in your daily living.
2) Read the passage and mark anything that blesses you, challenges you, or raises a question.
3) Reflect on the passage. What's God saying about Himself? What's God saying about you?
4) Pray in response to what God puts on your heart through the Word.