4 - LORD'S PRAYER - the Servant's PetitionsНамуна

04 – I Am a Debtor

“And forgive us our debts…” (Matthew 6:12, NIV)

When we pray these words, we are openly and sincerely admitting that we have debts. We are acknowledging that we are guilty of doing wrong—and that our debts are ultimately before the Lord our God, since it is to Him that we seek forgiveness.

But here’s the real question: Do we truly feel this in our hearts, as everyone who prays the Lord’s Prayer should? Or are countless people simply repeating the words without ever considering themselves sinners or transgressors?

The truth is, when I draw near to my Heavenly Father, I know that I stand in debt before Him. And I also know that this debt must either be paid or forgiven—I cannot carry it with me for the rest of my life. Or perhaps I have not yet awakened to the reality that I have sinned against the love of my God.

To confess that I am a debtor before God produces in me a humility and dependence so genuine that it opens my heart and mind to the living presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible reminds us: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” (James 4:6, NIV)

No wonder Jesus included this petition—“forgive us our debts”—in the prayer He taught us. The truth is, we desperately need God’s forgiveness. For by our own merits and efforts, our debts are impossible to repay. Without His mercy, we remain eternal debtors…