Our father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors, letting go of both the wrong and the resentment. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matt6:9-13
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He gave them this prayer. In verse 12 He states that we need to forgive so that we can be forgiven. He again clarify this in verse 14 and 15. Jesus felt so strongly about this that He takes the time to explain why forgiveness is so important. In the Amplified it says, ‘it will interfere with your relationship with God.’
In Mark11:25 Jesus said: ‘whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, drop the issue, let it go. So that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions and wrong doings against Him and others.
I think we can agree that what Jesus went through before and on the cross was intense…. And we are reminded of His words in Luke23:34: ‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ That is how big the ‘forgive others’ thing is to Jesus. Jesus took time through His suffering to forgive them. Who are we not to forgive?
And why do we need God to forgive us?
1Jhn1:9 ‘If we freely admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just, true to His own nature and promises, and He will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness, our wrong doing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose. Proverbs28:13 ‘He who conceals his sin, will not prosper, but whoever confesses and turn away from his sins will find compassion and mercy. Ps32:3 ‘When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away.’
If we stay unrighteous? Isa59:1-2 ‘Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save. Nor His ear so impaired that He cannot hear. But your wickedness has separated you from your God and your sin have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
When we are cleansed from our unrighteousness, it means we are righteous to God – In right standing with God. 1Pet3:12 ‘For the eye of the Lord is on the righteous and His ears are open to their prayers.’
We need to be in right-standing-with-God. Righteous. We need His blessings and we need His ear to listen to our prayers. We need to forgive.