Praying “Forgive Us Our Debts…”

Pain festers when it’s left unaddressed. If we don’t deal with it, we pass it along—to our kids, our coworkers, our spouses, our friends, even our future selves. That’s why praying, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors,” is a form of early detection and preventive soul care. The daily rhythm is what keeps wounds from hardening. It invites reflection before resentment calcifies.

Sometimes we wait too long to say what we want or need. We might brush things off or convince ourselves we don’t need much at all. It’s a form of self-protection: pretending we’re fine so we don’t risk being disappointed. But the truth is, we’re needs-based creatures. We can suppress our needs for only so long before things start to corrode from the inside out.

If we wait too long, a need might have grown so large—so emotionally loaded—that no one could realistically meet it.

Forgiveness is similar. It can feel so heavy that we put it off, telling ourselves we’re not ready. But in the waiting, the hurt grows. And by the time we finally confront it, it’s no longer a small ask. It’s a mountain.

Maybe that’s why Jesus invites us to pray about forgiveness every day. Not because we’ll always feel ready, but because we can’t afford to let pain take root. We need to deal with the small stuff while it’s still small.

What if today, when you pray, “Forgive us our debts . . . ,” you paused briefly to review the last twenty-four hours and ask:

Did anyone hurt me today, even just a little?

Did I hurt anyone today, even just a little?

If so, name it. Then do what you can to respond: pray, confess, reach out, release. The action doesn’t have to be big. Just don’t wait too long. No more suppressing pain or letting anger echo through your life. No more living in bondage, obsessing over “what they did.” In his kingdom, we free ourselves by freeing others and unleash radical healing. We bring heaven to earth and cultivate a life of meaning and possibility, no matter what wounds or wrongs we bear.

This is the invitation of the Lord’s Prayer, the vision Jesus sets before us.

Practice: Pause midday and before bed to ask, 'Did I hurt anyone today? Did anyone hurt me?' Bring each moment to God with the simple prayer, “Forgive me…help me forgive,” and, if needed, take one small step toward release or reconciliation.