Discovering the Lord’s PrayerSample

Forgive Us Our Trespasses

By God’s mercy, we can receive the gift of forgiveness for our sins. Just how great are the mercies of God? King David, one highly favored by God, needed God’s mercy. He had sinned against God one too many times. Though Scripture paints David as a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), he was not perfect. Over the course of his life, he coveted, stole, committed adultery, murdered, and was prideful—yet God forgave him because he repented of his sins, and called for mercy.

God even forgives wicked kings like Ahab. After God rebuked Ahab through the prophet Elijah the Tishbite, who pointed out the king’s many sins and idolatry, King Ahab humbled himself before the Lord. Because of that, God allowed Ahab to live out the rest of his life without seeing calamity (1 Kings 21:20–28).

Another prophet described God this way: “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy” (Micah 7:18). Forgiveness is effective because of the power of God’s infinite mercy.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to not only seek forgiveness, but to forgive. After concluding the prayer, He emphasized the importance of forgiveness in our relationship with God. Jesus modeled His obedience to this command for us. He prayed for those who crucified Him, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). When we sincerely repent, God forgives us—whether we act out of ignorance, like the soldiers did, or in full knowledge of our sin, as Ahab and David did. His mercy and love cover a multitude of sins.

By the blood of Jesus, we have been redeemed, forgiven of our sins, and are now God’s children. We acknowledge that we are part of the family of God and pray from our position as sons and daughters. We are endowed with the power to forgive those who sin against us. John 20:22–23 states that by the Holy Spirit, we have the authority to forgive the sins of others, which includes those who sin against us. More than just receiving the blessing of God’s mercy, we serve as conduits of His mercy to others. As we serve the mandate of forgiving others, we go about our Father’s business.