The Lord’s Prayer – Kingdom Forgiveness

Some folks have trouble with verse 12 in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6) because it deals with forgiveness. Some folks just can’t forgive. Some folks want others to forgive before they will forgive. Forgiveness and forgiving is a tough obstacle for many people, but it is one we must look at and see God’s perspective on it.

¹²And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

When we go through the Lord’s Prayer, we’ve really realigned our focus to God’s perspective. We recognize Him as our God, our provider of salvation through Jesus, the One who lives IN us, and our provider. It isn’t any surprise Jesus would share the next item needing to be addressed—forgiveness.

God wants us to see His heart on the matter here. He wants us to see what Jesus did on our behalf. He wants us to see that forgiveness of sin was transferred to Jesus who took the punishment for you and me. If we can see our forgiveness from God’s perspective, we are better equipped to forgive others.

Our focus, our perspective must change. We can’t hold grudges against people and hang on to the emotional hurt. We can’t hate others. It only hurts us and pushes away God’s best for us and them.

We must have hearts that are willing to forgive, not counting those things done to us or against us. It’s really operating in love and following what 1 Corinthians 13 speaks of. Verse 5, NASB puts it this way: “Love is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered.”

When we’re willing to forgive others, no matter what was done or said, we free ourselves from that snare. And, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:5, we’re pulling down anything that could be a potential stronghold in our life. “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” You can walk in true freedom and forgiveness as you apply these powerful verses in your daily life.