Matthew 6:12
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
What greater need can we have than to receive forgiveness from the Almighty God. We sin every day, sometimes sinning repeatedly in the same areas where God has been urging us not to sin. We many times fail to meet up to the high expectations of God because we are simply human beings learning to grow in our walk with God. There are deliberate, as well as unintentional sins, but all sin is a debt before God, and every debt needs forgiveness. I am a debtor because I am human.
Knowing that weakness is inherent in humanity, I should, therefore, forgive others who fail to meet our expectations. It could be deliberate or unintentional but irrespective of which it is, I am mandated by God to extend to my neighbor, the same type of unconditional forgiveness that I am expecting from God. If I were so hard-hearted that I would not forgive my neighbor, then sad to say that in so doing, I would have trapped myself into the wrath of God for my own sins. Be quick and lavish with forgiveness on others. Receiving pardon from God is not only tied to our prayers of penance, but they are also linked to our actions towards others. So, stop praying for more forgiveness and start forgiving more people who have hurt and disappointed us. The key to being pardoned is to give pardon (Matthew 6:14-15).
“Lord, I am redeemed from sin and yet I discover I still fail You in my thoughts and my actions. And while I therefore desperately need Your pardon for my many failures, teach me how to quickly forgive and release my fellow man who has hurt and disappointed me. Give me Your gracious and forgiving heart, O Lord, in Jesus name. Amen.”
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