Many of us long-ago memorized a version of the prayer Jesus gave us in Matthew 6 and have repeated it hundreds or thousands of times. Many have taught it to their children as well. We ask for God to be glorified, for just enough food for today, to be forgiven the way we forgive, and to be protected from temptation. "That's all you need to say," Jesus tells us.
Wait. Back up. To be forgiven how? Since we are all sinners, God's grace is what we count on. Our lives depend on his forgiveness. Just to make sure we got the point, after sharing the prayer in verses 9-13, he follows up with this:
"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15, NLT).
How are you teaching your children the importance of forgiveness? According to Jesus, there's only one way to get it, and that is to give it. How is this principle working in your own life?
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