Day 16: Forgive
Well friends, we’re into our last full week of this study and down to the last two lines of The Lord’s Prayer. I hope by now you are seeing a purposeful progression in The Lord's prayer; the way each line builds on and is connected to the previous ones. The more I pray through this posture, the more I am aware of the way it echoes the whole good news narrative of the Bible. I think the progression itself reminds us of what is profoundly true of the world, and as we train ourselves to remember this gospel progression while we pray...our loves, desires and will are formed by it.
I guess this might reveal another reason we pray in the first place- to submerse our hearts in the truth about God that reveals the truth about ourselves. And that's what tends to happen when our eyes are opened to see God more clearly...we suddenly see ourselves with more clarity too. And while that can be unsettling at times, it also becomes very freeing as it releases us from the world's metrics of the good life and binds our heart to a new treasure. The Apostle Paul says it best in a letter he wrote to the christians in Corinth:
For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ."*
Perhaps that's what happens as we pray Jesus' own words back to him. The beautiful and wise truth of who God truly is, is illuminated for us. And the light of this truth is what renews our inner person. Shaping our hearts, reforming our loves. Day by day.
So let's look back over this progression to see how we get to today. We started with a picture of God as a good Father, author of life and all that is good. He transcends humankind as divine king and yet amazingly-because of his holiness, desires to draw near to his children through deep and intimate relationship. The terms of this relationship involve everlasting love and the promise of His presence...life in the most beautiful kingdom; their needs met, their hearts fully satisfied. Daily. (See how we just traveled through the first 5 lines of The Lord's Prayer?)
But there's a problem. And as any good storyteller knows, this problem is what moves the plot forward. Unlike the Father, the children are not holy. They are broken at heart level and while it seems unimaginable, this heart condition causes them to reject the rule of the king and determine to find better kingdoms...perhaps one where they can sit on the throne.
Which brings us right to the next line of Jesus' prayer: "Forgive our sins..."
Once again, this line will teach us truth both about God and about ourselves. As I begin to write this, I know the most natural place to start is with "our sins," but instead of beginning with our own condition, let's back up and start with God himself.
A few days ago we read in Exodus 33 about Moses coming to God with a request for an assistant. God answers this request not in the way you might expect, and yet Moses ends up better off for it, even changing his request to what he has seen to be "the better ask."
The pivotal event in this story is the divine revelation of God's name proclaimed to Moses. It is what changes Moses' request and it's so profound that it will be repeated by God's people over and over again as the defining nature of who God is. A quick flip through my Bible showed 18 times where I had marked this same declaration throughout the Old Testament alone.
Think about it for a second. This is the moment where God tells mankind who he is. It comes from his own mouth...it shapes their understanding of him for all time. Let's stop for a moment and think back to our first day of studying the line "Our Father." I asked what the first thing was that came into your mind when you thought of God. Remember?
Now listen again to God revealing His name to his people, and pay attention to what he says first.
"The LORD the LORD, compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion and sin..."
This verse goes on and on...it can provoke really good questions and inquiry into the nature of God himself, but for now just look at those words. Read them again and consider: What is the first thing God wants his people to understand about himself?
There's a cultural belief that God answers prayer based on the righteousness of the pray-er, but the truth the scripture reveals is that God answers prayer for his own name's sake.** God answers prayer because he is compassionate and gracious at his very core. It is who he is first.
Our Father is the forgiving God.
I'm going to stop talking now and we're going to soak our hearts in this truth through his word. Let's read Nehemiah 9:5-37 today. It's a large passage, but for most of you, the content is familiar. I've linked to the CSB version today because it's the bible I've been using lately and I love the way they format it more poetically...I think the shorter stanzas make it easier to read and help with the flow of thought. But feel free to read it in your own bible!
The people of God have returned from years in exile back to Jerusalem. They gather once again as a nation in the city that represents to them God's faithfulness and Ezra the priest reads the Book of the Law given by God to Israel. The people are gutted after hearing the law again that once defined the beautiful kingdom they inhabited, and they mourn for the realization of their sin; their idolatry which led them into captivity...away from their good king. At one point in the gathering which goes from moments of great grief to tremendous joy, the priests stand up and pray this prayer.
As you read verses 5-15, pay attention to how this part of the prayer has a progression similar to what we've seen in The Lord's Prayer thus far. Then in verses 16-37, take note of how God is said to respond to Israel's sin. Make a list of all the ways God responds to Israel's infidelity. Let this big picture understanding of God, your Father, the King shape your heart as you continue in prayer today. When you are finished, you might even want to use some of the words from the passage to fill in The Lord's Prayer today.
Our Father...
In Heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your Kingdom come...
Give us each day our daily bread,
Forgive our sins as we ourselves forgive those indebted to us...
We will get to "our sins" tomorrow, but for today, let's just focus on Our Father as the Forgiving God. Let this truth pass from your mind to your heart as you go back and linger over the parts of today's passage that were most meaningful to you. Declare back to him the truths he has shown you today in his word about himself.
Then use these words of our friend Daniel to remind your heart of the truth: "For we are not presenting our petitions before you based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion."***
And lead us not into temptation.
Amen.
May the knowledge of his abundant compassion be a balm to your soul today and let it shape your interactions with those around you. Much love!
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