Our scripture for the Daily Devotional today is taken from Matthew 6: 5-15. God’s love for us has looked past our sins and shame and looked upon Jesus’ blood! Love chooses to forgive and forget the transgressions, loving the person despite the history.
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
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“‘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.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
As we pray the Lord’s prayer, we confirm to God that we will forgive those that have caused us harm. How can we expect God to forgive our large amount of debt when we can not forgive the insignificant debt of others toward us.
As necessary as our daily bread is, forgiveness from God and others is too. We need forgiveness to live, not only from God but from those that we have caused distress to. If others need your forgiveness to live, why would you hold forgiveness back as some manipulating tool?
Loving someone requires forgiving them. If you won’t forgive someone, do you love them?
Let’s Pray
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you, God, that you have forgiven me of all my debts, washing me white as snow! Your forgiveness has given me freedom and liberty like nothing I have known before or since. Help me to forgive those people that I love today!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen