April 20 Devotion - The Lord's Prayer - Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors

In the previous devotions I covered the following portion of The Lord’s Prayer: 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.

Today we cover the next phrase in sequence:  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

انْزِعُوا عَنْكُمْ كُلَّ حِقْدٍ وَنَقْمَةٍ وَغَضَبٍ وَصَخَبٍ وَسُبَابٍ وَكَلَّ شَرٍّ. وَكُونُوا لُطَفَاءَ بَعْضُكُمْ نَحْوَ بَعْضٍ، شَفُوقِينَ، مُسَامِحِينَ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضاً كَمَا سَامَحَكُمُ اللهُ فِي الْمَسِيحِ.

فَالبَسُوا ثَوباً يَلِيقُ بِأبناءٍ مُختارِينَ وَمُقَدَّسِينَ وَمَحبُوبِيْنَ مِنَ اللهِ: ثَوبَ الشَّفَقَةِ، وَاللُّطفِ، وَالتَّواضُعِ، وَالوَداعَةِ، وَالصَّبْرِ.

 

Ephesians 4:31-32, Colossians 3:12

In the Jewish writings it is common to call sins "debts"; and the phrase, of forgiving, is used both of God and men. While we are to forgive the monetary debts of the poor who cannot pay, we are also to forgive those have done us wrong and to pray to God to forgive them also.

I find it easier to understand this phrase of The Lord’s prayer as follows: Lord please teach me, help me, and strengthen me to forgive others in the same way You have forgiven me.

It has been said that forgiving others is the most selfish thing you can do for yourself, because it releases you of all the anguish and negative bitter feelings you hang onto when you don’t forgive. These feelings continue to hurt you until you forgive. It has also been said that non-forgiveness is like taking poison and hoping the other person will die. Jesus’ teaching to forgive our enemies is not such a tough thing when we realize it’s for your own good.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and Your deep, everlasting and inseparable love. LORD, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can forgive my debtors as You have forgiven me and to pray for them. Help me God to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Strengthen me so that I can clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. God I praise You, revere You, worship You, I stand in awe of You, and glorify Your Holy Name. I declare to the world that Christ is my Lord and Saviour. In the name of the King of kings and Lord of lords, in the Holy Name of Your only begotten Son Jesus, I pray. To Him be the power, the glory, the majesty and the dominion forever and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein