How to Pray Forgiveness and Debt

How to Pray

Forgiveness and Debt

Forgiveness and debt can be big things

But they can also be little things we face every day

Hopefully you are a person who is helpful and kind  

You do things for others not looking for anything in return

But you create a debt, a debt of gratefulness

Throughout any day we can receive acts of kindness and give them

How others respond and we respond can create needs for forgiveness

Forgiveness needs to happen in two places

Remember debt needs to be forgiven in two places, the heart and through action    

Be sure you show gratitude to those who do things for you whether small or great

Be sure you pay what you owe and if unable to pay, work out something

With your debtor in a way you would want your debtors to work with you

Pray the best for those who owe you

And pray you will be faithful to your obligations

Forgiveness and Debt

If I pray daily each part of the

Lord’s Prayer, how do I pray…

Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

The word “forgive”, to set aside.

We do not have to go far to get insight,

as just two verses later Jesus says…

For if you forgive men when they sin against you,

your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive men their sins,

your Father will not forgive your sins.

 Matthew 6:14-15

This thing of forgiveness falls under the second

Command, “Love thy neighbor as thy self”.

What are we to set aside or let go of?

  

“Debts” Verse 12…

 something owed, a due

“Sin” verse 14…

 Unintentional error or willful transgression

The word “debts” is found one

other place in the New Testament…

Romans 4:4

Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation (Debt). However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

"Blessed are they

whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man

whose sin the Lord will never count against him."  

Romans 4:4-8

Verse 4 says a debt is something

owed because it is earned.

It is impossible to live a day

without becoming indebted or being owed.

Because ever action and inaction creates a debt.

If we go out to dinner and you

pick up the bill, I am indebted to you.

If I stop at your house and accidently

bump your vase off the table and

it breaks I am indebted to you.

I know these things sound small,

 but it is little things like these that happen

every day and they create needs of forgiveness.

Romans 4 talks about two

 men, Abraham and David.

Abraham was a good guy.

 David had great sin.

Both men found God’s forgiveness and entered

into God’s blessings because of one thing…

Faith…

They put their faith and trust in God.

 

So how does that apply to us?

Neither a good man like Abraham

or a bad man like David

deserved God’s love or blessing.

Yet, God’s love wanted the best for both.

So forgiveness works in two ways.

When men did not deserve

God’s love Christ died for them.

God did not block Abraham

or David from forgiveness.

When Abraham and David

came to God in faith…

They felt the weight of their separation

and could not pay the price for God’s love.

It was their repentance and love that

opened the door for God to cancel the debt.

When we pray we should first let

go of our ill will toward others.

This opens the door for those

indebted to us to make things right.

Maybe they will someday pay

the debt or you may release it.

Remember debt needs to be forgiven in two places…

 The heart and through action.

     

Be sure you show gratitude to those who

do things for you whether small or great.

Be sure you pay what you owe.

 If unable to pay…

 Work out something with your

debtor in a way you would

want your debtors to work with you.

Scripture Reading

Matthew 6:9-13 NIV

9 "This, then, is how you should pray:

"'Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.'