Most of us at one time or other have heard the Lord’s prayer. Many of us have even committed it to memory. The prayer seems simple enough, but simple things can sometimes be very deep. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He gave them a model prayer. The problem is that it seems like Jesus included something in the prayer that doesn’t belong there.
If the fifth petition in the prayer simply read “Forgive us our debts,” and just stopped right there, we wouldn’t have any problem with it. We all understand that we need to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. We know that confession and repentance are part of what prayer is all about. What makes this prayer so challenging is that Jesus seems to include something in the prayer that doesn’t belong when he adds the phrase “as we forgive our debtors.” As you ponder that phrase, you may understand why Augustine called this text “a terrible petition.”
Join us online as we explore “Dangerous Prayers” by looking at one which you might not think you would need a lot of courage to pray, “Forgive Me,” and together we’ll look at what it means for us to ask God to forgive us, as we have forgiven others.
Looking forward to worshiping with you,
Pastor Rick
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