The prayer we have been studying is known as the Lord’s Prayer. I said at the beginning of our study that this can’t be the Lord’s Prayer. It can’t be the Lord’s Prayer because Jesus could not have prayed this prayer. Jesus was sinless. This prayer is the prayer which Jesus taught his disciples to pray. This is the Disciple’s Prayer.
We pray this prayer – “Forgive us our debts” – because we are repeat sinners.
God has forgiven us of our sins. Not just today’s sins but all our sins. Because God has forgiven us, we have the audacity to pray, “Our Father,” for that’s who God is to those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior. Our standing as children of God cannot ever be taken away. There is nothing that can change our standing before God as his children. Although our standing as God’s children cannot be taken away, the presence of sin damages our relationship with God.
There are times when my children do things that hurt me. But there is nothing they can ever do to change the fact that they are my children. So it is with God and us.
If God has forgiven us our sins why then do we keep praying, “Forgive us our debts”?
Because we are repeat sinners.
It’s like taking a shower or a bath. Why do we take a shower or bath when we’ve already showered or bathed? Because we keep getting dirty.
There is no shame in asking for forgiveness when we sin. It would be a crying shame when we don’t ask for forgiveness when we have been dirtied and tainted by sin. We will continue to wrestle with sin until the day we die. That we wrestle with sin, that we are bothered by sin, that we don’t like the presence of sin in our lives is a good thing. It would be terrible if we weren’t bothered by sin.
Father, forgive us our sins. We are repeat sinners in need of your forgiveness once again. Wash us anew and cleanse us from our sin.
Praxis: Faith in Action 