TEACH US TO PRAY
Jesus gave His disciples an outline around which to build their time alone with God.
(Matthew 6:12) “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
God wants to cleanse and soften our hearts daily.
1.
CONDITIONAL
A. This answer the question, “WHAT – is the nature of a pardoning prayer? (It’s conditional.)
B. God does not forgive everyone who asks.
(12) “Forgive us our debts, as we also HAVE FORGIVEN our debtors.”
C. God only forgives those who forgive others.
(14) “For IF you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
(15) “But if you do not forgive men their sin, your
Father WILL NOT forgive your sin.”
(18:23-35) The kingdom of heaven is like a king who
wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
As he began the settlement, a man who owed him 10,000 talents was
brought to him. Since he was not able
to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that
he had be sold to repay the debt. The
servant fell on his knees before him. “Be patient with m,” he begged, “And I
will pay back everything.” The
servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
But when
that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him 100 denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. “Pay back what you owe me!” he
demanded. His fellow servant fell to
his knees and begged him, “Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.” But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he
could pay the debt.
When the
other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and
told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. “You wicked servant” he said, “I canceled all that debt of yours
because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you
have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” In anger his master turned him over to the
jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed.
This is
how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother
from your heart.
(Mark 11:25) “When you [are] praying, if you hold
anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive
you your sins.”
2. CLEANSING
A. This answers the question, “WHY – forgive others?” (So God can cleanse and soften our hearts.)
B. An unforgiving spirit will darken and harden my heart.
3. CONFESSION
A. This answers the question, “HOW – do I pray a prayer of pardon? (Through confession.)
B. Confess: to make acknowledgment of; to admit.
C. This needs to work in two ways:
i. If someone has offended me, I need to confess my forgiveness of them.
ii. If I have offended God, I need to confess that to Him and seek His forgiveness.