Thursday 17 August

Joshua 3:7-11, 13-17; Psalm 114;
Matthew 18:21-19:1

Forgiving with the heart

Today’s prayer has to be ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, the one that anchors forgiveness firmly as my personal responsibility. Forgive us our trespasses, we pray, as we forgive those who trespass against us. The wisdom of Jesus in giving us that prayer touches a very raw spot within each of us: our reluctance to forgive. We want the offender to pay; we want revenge. Yet we want to be forgiven. This prayer reminds us we can’t have it both ways. Pray ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ today. Put your heart into it.