The Lord\'s Prayer
This devotional is written by Lesley Hampson. Lesley has been at St Mary's for a few years.
Matthew 6:9-13
9 'This, then, is how you should pray:
'"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
'"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Forgive us our sins
My two children really know how to push each other's buttons. At times it seems as if they continually and repeatedly argue over not much at all! If you didn't already know let me tell you, kids can make some really cutting remarks and I have heard my little darlings say things like:
"Life was good before you were born" and "Well I wish you weren't in this family".
Yes I know, shocking!! AND, I'm the referee; an unpaid job that I dislike and I'm not even good at, especially when both children take me on at the same time each with their own version of events. It's not a pretty sight and just being reminded of it is giving me a headache! Eventually, when they have stopped talking at me, we will talk through what's happened and I will often suggest that one or both of them apologises and to ask for forgiveness. There have also been times when I have asked their forgiveness because I have simply lost it with them. Done, finished...Hmmm, well not really as there usually is a new situation to deal with each day. The same is true of me, I go about my day offending God in all sorts of ways; something I said that I shouldn't have said, something I haven't done that I should have done, a wrong thought and the list goes on! Just as I teach my children to seek forgiveness it's also important that I too ask God to forgive me daily.
When a member of my family says a hurtful thing to another member of the family, the closeness of our family is strained and the fellowship between family members is broken. Only when forgiveness is sought can the relationship be healed. When a member of my family does wrong the wrongdoer does not cease to be a member of our family. The fellowship may be broken but not the relationship. No matter what that person has done, he or she will always be a member of our family. In the same way, the sins we commit as Christian believers do not nullify our salvation but it does put a strain on our relationship with God so can I encourage you to do as Jesus teaches and daily confess your sin to our loving heavenly Father who forgives those who come to him.
"Life was good before you were born" and "Well I wish you weren't in this family".
Yes I know, shocking!! AND, I'm the referee; an unpaid job that I dislike and I'm not even good at, especially when both children take me on at the same time each with their own version of events. It's not a pretty sight and just being reminded of it is giving me a headache! Eventually, when they have stopped talking at me, we will talk through what's happened and I will often suggest that one or both of them apologises and to ask for forgiveness. There have also been times when I have asked their forgiveness because I have simply lost it with them. Done, finished...Hmmm, well not really as there usually is a new situation to deal with each day. The same is true of me, I go about my day offending God in all sorts of ways; something I said that I shouldn't have said, something I haven't done that I should have done, a wrong thought and the list goes on! Just as I teach my children to seek forgiveness it's also important that I too ask God to forgive me daily.
When a member of my family says a hurtful thing to another member of the family, the closeness of our family is strained and the fellowship between family members is broken. Only when forgiveness is sought can the relationship be healed. When a member of my family does wrong the wrongdoer does not cease to be a member of our family. The fellowship may be broken but not the relationship. No matter what that person has done, he or she will always be a member of our family. In the same way, the sins we commit as Christian believers do not nullify our salvation but it does put a strain on our relationship with God so can I encourage you to do as Jesus teaches and daily confess your sin to our loving heavenly Father who forgives those who come to him.
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