The Lord’s Prayer
Lying is wrong, but I am sure you know this. This belief is not reserved for the religious either. Almost every person on our planet agrees that it’s bad to bear false witness. While we all strive to live a life free of lies, I am sure we’ve all let a fib slip at one point. We’ve lied to our parents, we’ve lied to our teachers, and we’ve lied to God during church.
I hear you saying, “That’s a bold accusation there, buddy. It’s one thing to lie about who put the empty jug of milk back in the refrigerator, but to lie to God in His own house? I would never!” Sadly, I know that I have, and it’s possible that you have too. Our church lie usually happens when reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus encourages us to pray a promise to God. The model prayer expounds, “forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12 NLT). I remember saying this prayer while simultaneously holding a grudge. My refusal to forgive turned me into a liar — not to a friend or teacher, but to God.
Can you honestly recite this part of the prayer without your fingers crossed? Can you claim that you have forgiven those who have sinned against you? It’s an important question for reflection. I believe that Jesus intentionally positions our own forgiveness from God in front of our forgiveness for others. The fact that God has forgiven us should empower us to do the same for others. We are fully forgiven, so we should freely forgive.
According to Jesus, your daily prayers should include two critical elements — confession and restoration. First, confess your sins before our forgiving God. When you pray, ask for forgiveness. You owed a disastrous debt to God, but He wiped it clean. Through Jesus, God shredded your impossible-to-repay invoice. Your confession is a celebration of that life-changing fact. Your sin was too much to carry, but Jesus took it on for you. Confess, not out of obligation, but out of celebration.
Second, give forgiveness to others. If there is any bitterness in your heart, ask God to help you remove it. Seek to restore and repair damaged relationships with the healing power of forgiveness. People have incorrectly assumed this passage means that our forgiveness from God is conditional on our forgiveness of others. That’s not what Jesus says here. He says “forgive as you have been forgiven.” It’s not a condition of forgiveness. It’s an expression of forgiveness. A person who withholds forgiveness has not come to terms with the universe-shifting reality of God’s mercy. Whenever you pray, do so with confession and restoration.