Teach Me to Pray Forgive Us Our Trespasses Day 3

Luther’s Insights for Prayer

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

What does this mean?

We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.

Sin is very real. Our world prefers to talk about ‘unintentional mistakes’ and ‘no harm, no foul!’ But God makes it clear that our sin alienates us- keeps us apart from God. That makes it serious- eternally serious!!

But our gracious God responds in forgiveness. “And you who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him.” Colossians 1:21-22     

He gives us by faith the blessing of forgiveness, and calls on each of us to respond in our life as a forgiving person.: “if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:12-13

Thank your gracious God in prayer for His limitless forgiveness!. Pray earnestly for a continual forgiving heart!