Absolution

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13

Key Verse: Matthew 6:12

After we have prayed for provision and laid all of our concerns at the feet of Christ we have to begin to pray for forgiveness. I realize that this isn’t always the easiest thing to do especially when things are going really well in our lives. But God wants you to acknowledge your imperfections, so that He can start a new work in you to move forward. These simple words can make a huge difference not only for you but for those around you as well. 

In the first part of verse 12 Jesus asks for debts to be forgiven. At all times, we owe God our best. It is common for us to get wrapped up in our flesh and our own selfish desires, which causes us to sin. We must ask for God to forgive us and redirect our steps. Even when we think we have not sinned, we probably have. I once heard a pastor talk about sins of commission and sins of omission. Sins of commission are sins that we commit by doing something that we know we shouldn’t be doing. These sins to be easily recognizable like being drunk, committing adultery, or stealing. Sins of omission are sins we commit by not doing something we should be doing or not being aware that we have sinned. These sins tend to be easy to hide from the world and even easier to convince ourselves that we are still okay like not helping those in need or not maintaining a consistent relationship with God and other believers. Both types of sin are viewed as unacceptable in the eyes of God, so we all should always pray that He forgives us for our wrongdoing in these areas. 

The next part of verse 12 reminds us that we should forgive others. God does not approve of us holding grudges against others. In Leviticus 19, He tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The same grace we want God to extend to us is the grace we must extend to others regardless of the offense. Life on earth is too short to walk around mad at someone for something they did to you in the past. We must allow people space to grow and change. By including this in the prayer, we are asking the Holy Spirit to help us begin this process of forgiving others. God recognizes that, because of our flesh, we often struggle with tasks like forgiveness, which is why He sent the Holy Spirit. Maybe you still aren’t convinced why you need to forgive that person who betrayed your trust. If you look ahead to verses 14 and 15 of this chapter, you will see that there are consequences for holding a grudge. We all want God to forgive us for the mistakes that we make on a daily basis, and in order to receive that forgiveness we must forgive those around us. 

God wants us to love one another the same way He loves us. While it might not always be the easiest thing to do, praying about it is a great start. We must open up our hearts and minds to realize that the same way that we make mistakes, so do others. Yet, the blessing is that God wants to help us all. It is your turn. Maybe you need to ask God to help you forgive others the way He forgives you. He is waiting to hear from you today. Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for allowing me to see another day. I am grateful for all that you have done for me. Lord please help me to release these grudges that are hidden in the depths of my heart. I want to be more like you. Please forgive me for my sins. I want a fresh start. Lord you are so awesome, and I know that with you in control everything will be alright. I love you beyond words. It is Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.