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A Prayer for Grace to Forgive as Jesus Has Forgiven Us

Then Peter came up and said to him [Jesus], “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say seven times, but seventy times seven.” Matt. 18:21-22

Heavenly Father, I’m sure I’ve read this story at least seventy-seven times since the day you rescued me from the dominion of darkness and planted me in your kingdom of grace. But I need to keep on reading it, because forgiveness is as daily as breathing, eating, and sleeping.

I know that I fall short of your glory in thought, word, and deed, every hour of every day. I also know that you’ve already forgiven all of my sins—past, present, and future. Such is the reach of your mercies and the riches of the gospel. Indeed, when we confess our sins and ask your forgiveness, we neither inform you of anything, nor do we get more or new forgiveness; we simply tap into the inexhaustible grace you lavish on us in Jesus. In fact, my sin is far worse than I realize, just as your love is far more abounding than I realize.

Where can greater riches be found? That’s the most rhetorical question I can ask. Every inheritance, windfall and lottery are worthless fodder compared to the sumptuous banquet of the gospel. Nothing compares with the treasures we’ve receive in the gospel.

Father, right now I confess how much I take your forgiveness for granted—I presume upon it just as I presume upon oxygen, gravity and the sun. I recognize this because there are a few “seventy times seven” forgiveness scenarios which are gnawing away at my peace and nibbling on my joy like tiny piranha. There’s a knot in my gut and homicide in my heart.

I’ve forgiven seven times, but now I want them to pay. I want to be smug. I want to retreat into self-righteousness. I want to gossip and tell others not to trust those who have hurt me. In short, Father, I’m a mess needing your promised new mercies for this day. Left to myself, I have neither the desire nor the resources to love well.

Hear my cry. Come, Holy Spirit, come; apply the power of the gospel to my heart in this very moment. Slay the wicked servant in me (Matt. 18:32). Humble me… gentle me… settle me… focus me… free me. Love in me and through me, for the glory of God. I want to forgive from my heart, as you’ve forgiven me from your heart, Father. So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ perfectly holy and forgiving name.

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