Pondering Point

In a week devoted to the Lord's Prayer, we are encouraged to live in harmony with each other. Seeking God in prayer while harboring anger toward another person is not a healthy nor godly strategy for life.

God teaches us that we can't have love for Him and hatred in our hearts toward our brothers. That doesn't mean don't bother with God; nor does it mean ignore your emotions. It does mean go to God with those emotions and feelings and let Him help you address them so that you may seek peace with others. And don't be afraid then to act on His wishes.

Praying the Lord's Prayer 
Part Five

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Take some time to confess/repent/renounce any sin that comes to mind during this time.

We ask You to forgive us our sins and release us from the grip they have on us. Lead us to repent and renounce our sins and to live in Your love which You have given us through the cross and resurrection. Help us to live in Your love and remember that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases (Lamentations 3:22), that Your mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning and especially this morning. We thank You for Your faithfulness to forgive and renew us by Your love.

As You have forgiven us, Lord we in turn freely forgive (Matthew 5:43-48, 10:8, Ephesians 4:3) and we release those who have sinned against us. We forgive them and release them into Your care. Grant to us a heart like Yours that we may be gracious to those who hurt or offend us. If there is any offense, sin, slight, or betrayal that comes to mind, forgive as the Lord has forgiven you.

Thank You Lord for leading us through this healthy and healing facet of prayer and release of other’s sin as we too have been released of our sin. In Your name Jesus I pray. Amen.

Praying the Lord's Prayer 
by Rev. Jason Boetcher

ABBA (Romans 8:15), we belong to You (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). You are present with us (Matthew 28:20).

Make us holy by Your name (John 16:16). Manifest your holiness in our lives through the bestowing of Your saving name upon us in the waters of baptism (Matthew 28:19). Proclaim and confess the Apostles Creed. We receive Your holiness as a gift (Hebrews 2:11) with thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2) here on earth as in the heavens.

Let Your kingdom come and invade every part of our lives (Matthew 13:33) that our old nature may be crucified with Christ, that we no longer live but Christ Jesus now lives in us (Galatians 2:20)

• Take off old nature: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander" (Matthew 15:19). “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19-21).

• And put on Christ: “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect unity (Colossians 3:12-14).

• Put on the Armor of God using Ephesians 6:10-17: Manifest Your kingdom in such a way that we grow up in our identity as Your dear children and live in the authority that You have given. We receive Your kingdom as a gift with thanksgiving here on earth as in the heavens.

Let Your will be done among us. Manifest Your will that we may say “I love You Father,” “I love You Jesus,” “I love You Spirit” with our whole heart and soul and mind and strength – and that we may love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:27-29, Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18, Psalm 51:12). We receive Your will as a gift with thanksgiving here on earth as in the heavens. 

Give us this day our daily bread. Provide for all our needs according to Your glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:20). We ask that You would provide for all of our physical (Matthew 9:37-38; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Philippians 4:5-7), spiritual, relational and emotional needs. If there are any specific needs of body or soul for you or others, this is the time to mention them. We give You thanks in advance as our provider. We look to You O Lord and You satisfy the desires all living things (Psalm 145:16).

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Take some time to confess/repent/renounce any sin that comes to mind to during this time. We ask You to forgive us our sins and release us from the grip they have on us. Lead us to repent and renounce our sins and to live in Your love which You have given us through the cross and resurrection. Help us to live in Your love and remember that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases (Lamentations 3:22), that Your mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning and especially this morning. We thank You for Your faithfulness to forgive and renew us by Your love.

As You have forgiven us, Lord we in turn freely forgive (Matthew 5:43-48, 10:8, Ephesians 4:3) and we release those who have sinned against us. We forgive them and release them into Your care. Grant to us a heart like Yours that we may be gracious to those who hurt or offend us. If there is any offense, sin, slight, or betrayal that comes to mind, forgive as the Lord has forgiven you.

Lead us not into temptation. We ask that You would lead us in all of Your ways. Open our eyes that we may see where You are working around us (John 4:34-35, John 5:19-20, 30). Open our ears that we may hear what You our Good Shepherd are saying to us (John 10:3-5, 16). Lead and guide our feet to walk upon Your paths (Psalms 25:10, 27:11). We thank You in advance for how You will lead us.

But deliver us from evil.

• Deliver us from the evil that is in us (Romans 7:24). Loosen the grip that our old nature has on us that we may live in Your freedom.

• Deliver us from the evil that is in the world (Galatians 1:4). Loosen its grip on us that we may live in the world but not be of the world. I bring the cross of my Lord Jesus Christ between me and all people as Galatians 6:14 says, “I have been crucified to them and they have been crucified to me.” I command their human spirits bound back to their bodies, and I send all their sin and warfare and corruption bound back to the throne of Christ in their life. I forbid them or their warfare or their sin to transfer to me. And I allow only the love of God, only the bond of the Holy Spirit, between us.

• Deliver us from the evil one and his kingdom and the lies that he has told us and that we believe. Loosen the grip that he has upon us that we might live freely as Your dear children in Your kingdom.

Deliver us O Lord from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.