It’s About Forgiveness!
Jesus wasn’t kidding when he laid out this prayer for our “come to Jesus” meeting with the Father. He told me to pray this way if I am going to come before the abba Father and live in genuine relationship with my brothers and sisters in our family. He said to pray this way:
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come, your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
What makes this prayer so applicable today is the commentary Jesus adds to it.
For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15)
Couple this addendum with Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:23-24 and Matthew 18:21-35 and you understand very clearly that forgiveness is a crucial part of Kingdom character. In my Heartlight.org article today, we look at Jesus forgiving His disciples who had abandoned, forsaken, betrayed, and denied Him in His hours of greatest need. This prayer and the article really challenge me in my life and force me to ask some questions of myself and of us, Jesus’ people.
Why is forgiveness hard for you?
How is forgiveness liberating to the person forgiven?
How is forgiveness liberating to the person who does the forgiving?
Why do you believe Jesus is so adamant that His followers be a forgiving people? (Read the Lord’s Prayer, along with Jesus’ editorial comment in Matthew 6:9-15 and also Jesus’ parable about the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35 before answering this question!)
The apostle Paul called us to forgive like we have been forgiven(Ephesians 4:32-5:1). How are we like God when we forgive?
How can we help each other become more forgiving?
Why are confrontation of sin and confession of sin so important to creating an environment of forgiveness? (Matthew 5:23-24; Matthew 18:15-20; James 5:16)
I’d love to hear any insights or responses you have!
Why is forgiveness hard for you?
A personal hurt is a belonging, like a piece of paper or a scar. It is our experience, and shapes us.
Sometimes it gives us something to complain about. In the case of a terrible hurt, it gives us something to hold onto; proof that the thing happened. When something unbelievable happens, we often fear people won’t believe us. We want our hurt to matter.
I have OCD. That doesn’t help.
How is forgiveness liberating to the person forgiven?
It is one less negative energy pointed toward them, maybe one more person praying for them.
It may inspire them to do better and to forgive others.
How is forgiveness liberating to the person who does the forgiving?
It frees the mind from cyclical thinking and negative thoughts. It removes guilt for feeling bad things.
It lifts our spirits for the good we have done. It takes a burden off of our hearts that we have given to God.
Why do you believe Jesus is so adamant that His followers be a
forgiving people?
We cannot be forgiven unless we forgive. I sometimes think we are forgiven to a certain extent, but we can’t truly be forgiven completely until we can let go of the blame and indebtedness we feel toward other people.
The apostle Paul called us to forgive like we have been forgiven (Ephesians
4:32-5:1). How are we like God when we forgive?
We give an extraordinary and uncommon gift. It seems illogical for the human spirit. It is Godlike.
We owe this to God, for he forgives us.
How can we help each other become more forgiving?
Forgive each other, and learn to forgive ourselves for the mistakes we have made. It feeds the soul to help others grow. Leading them to understand forgiveness is a gift. It benefits everyone to discuss forgiveness. Sometimes we can help other people learn how we did it. It can be inspiring to hear of others doing it.
Why are confrontation of sin and confession of sin so important to
creating an environment of forgiveness?
We have to understand what we are doing wrong to correct it.
Kathy
22 Jun 09 at 9:29 am