God’s Prayer Pattern - Lesson 8 (And forgive us our sins)

God’s Prayer Pattern

Lesson 8 (And forgive us our sins)

Luke’s version reads, “And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.” Luke 11:4. Here we learn one of the greatest lessons of successful prayer. The beloved disciple wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 Jn 1:9. In Psalm 32:5, the psalmist says, “I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’” Here the psalmist addresses, “sin,” “iniquity,” and “transgression” in his prayer to God because he was aware that the three all describe evil and lawlessness against God. In 1 John 3:4 the beloved disciple says, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

This is the secrete which the Pharisee never knew when he went before God. The tax collector knew it and returned home justified. 1 John 1:8-10 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” The greatest lie we can ever live is to deny our shortcomings and seek remedy for of it. We must guard against iniquity remembering that God is holy. 1 Peter 1:15-17.

The Psalmist said it all when he sang, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.” Ps. 66:18-20. He will not turn away our prayers when we confess our sins and turn away from our transgressions. The ex-blind once taught the then scholars of the day, that “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” Jhn 9:31. In Proverbs 15:29 the wiseman said, “The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.” This is why John remarked, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’

As we seek forgiveness from God we must also learn to forgive those who trespass against us. In Matthew 6:14-15 the Lord taught, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” As children of God we must be like God. God is a forging being hence his children must also be forgiving beings. Remember the parable of the ungrateful servant.

 

The parable of the ungrateful servant in Matthew 18 is a good lesson which needs no further interpretation. Matthew writes, “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.  But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.  The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’  Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released