“and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us” Luke 11:4
Jesus, in the “Lord’s prayer,” gave His disciples a pattern for daily fellowship with God in prayer.
We learn from this prayer that daily repentance and confession of sin is God’s will for us and needs to be an integral part of our daily prayer life. A good way to think of this spiritual habit is to compare it with washing our hands before a meal.
Repentance and Confession
When we repent our our sins and confess them, God has promised forgives us and washes us clean from sin’s defilement (1 John 1:9). He does this on the basis of Jesus death on the cross for our sin.
Forgiveness of those who Sin against us
As part of our daily fellowship with God, we are instructed to consider who has has offended us and then forgive them.
This is especially important for those who are married. 1 Peter 3:7 commands married couples to live in harmony…“so that your prayers may not be hindered.”
If we’re having trouble praying, it is helpful to ask “Is there someone I’m not willing to forgive or am bitter against?” If that is the case, we are to first go to them and be reconciled with them. Then we are in a position to continue praying (Matt 5:23).
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