Matthew 6:12 “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Verse 11 of this very same chapter continues and slides immediately into this verse and the next. “And” is a simple word, but yet it gives so much to this prayer. While we have just been taught to pray for what we need, what we truly need for the moment, we are also to pray as well for forgiveness. We pray to be blessed with everything we really need: physically, and emotionally, and spiritually as we need it as well as to be forgiven. What a bold request. Such audacity in a demand “Give us... and forgive us...” are we then asking for too much? No! We are asking for the very things we need from the Almighty Creator, the Great Provider! Forgiveness is a spiritual need, but so is forgiving those who have injured us in some manner. We need to forgive others constantly to enjoy the higher level of spiritual freedom that comes with this “and” (For we know that God has already forgiven us our sins and faults of all time as we repented and were redeemed by the blood of Christ Jesus). The worthiness is in our asking!

“And” says that I will ask for the world boldly and unabashedly, not hiding my true needs behind wimpy, wavering, quavering petitions through which the great deceiver, Satan, attacks us and our faith trying to trick us into not accepting this great and wonderful “and” that we have been blessed with. He whispers in our deepest thoughts “Surely God provides bread for you when you really need it, and He certainly gives you good things that you know you don't deserve; if, however, you were truly forgiven you would not think of those things you have been forgiven. If you are truly forgiven then your faith would be so much greater. To be forgiven is too much to ask for right now. You need to be better, you need to work harder to be more righteous before you are truly forgiven. You do not trust enough and you do not love enough. You are not ready yet.” Lucifer turns this portion of the Lord's Prayer into “and forgive us if we are worthy as we try to be good enough to forgive others.” The worthiness is in our asking!

We are also taking a responsibility in this prayer. We ask to forgive others also “as we have forgiven our debtors” which creates a siphon effect! We are only become more capable of truly forgiving others as we become closer to God. By daily asking the Lord to forgive those who have injured us and by our approaching them and forgiving them as we continue to pray that God forgives us as we are trying to forgive them then God's forgiveness and grace begins to flow deeper into our lives and it flows through us. Overflowing, spilling out, rushing and engulfing everything then we become a conduit, a hose, a tube of forgiveness which makes us at long last able to truly forgive others. It takes time and a single-minded pursuit of Christ-mindedness, but it happens. We have to daily, even hourly or minutely forgive those who hurt us. Sadly sometimes – nay, oftentimes- we are debtors to ourselves and we must learn to forgive our own selves and this we find to be the hardest person to forgive. But through the grace of God we are able to. The worthiness is in our asking!

'Forgive our sins as we forgive',
you taught us, Lord to pray;
but you alone can grant us grace
to live the words we say.

Lord, cleanse the depths within our souls
and bid resentment cease;
then, reconciled to God and man,
our lives will spread your peace.