The Lord's Prayer (6)

Quintus Heine

Matthew 6:12 "And forgive us our debts."

Apart from the fact that God cares for our daily needs, the forgiveness of sins is the greatest wonder in the world. Sin brought about a separation between man and God. God has a solution for that separation – the forgiveness of sin. Just as we cannot live without our daily bread (our everyday needs), we cannot live without forgiveness of sin. Just as we depend on God for our daily bread, we depend on him for our daily spiritual freedom. The bonds of sin limit our living space.

How does God forgive us? To ask God to forgive our sins means that we must first realise and acknowledge them. Because we live in the world, the wrong sticks to us like a limpet. That’s why we struggle each day to keep our egos, the I, in check. With sorrow in our hearts, we must confess these sins before God. To admit that we are full of sin is a difficult one. We try to escape blame in different ways. Sometimes our lips might admit that we are guilty, but in our hearts we still cherish what is wrong. But practising what we preach means a coversion of the heart, it means sincerely confessing our sins before God and seeking his forgiveness. Only then we are free to serve him and live!

 Forgiveness is also a new beginning: When God forgives sin, it's gone. He wipes it out completely. He has paid for it on the cross. You start living with a blank page. There comes a spiritual freedom in your life that words cannot describe. God forgives not just once, but again and again, every time. Those who have received forgiveness learn to fight all the harder against sin. It is necessary to pray this prayer to the Lord every day:

Lord, I confess my sins to you and knowing that you can forgive it, thank you for your forgiveness through Jesus Christ's death on the cross.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.