Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt. 6,33.
QUESTIONS.
1. What is meant in this petition by "daily bread"? 2. Why does the Lord teach us to pray for our daily bread? 3. Wherewith should we be content? 4. Does not God give us our daily bread without our Prayer? 5. On whom even does He bestow this gift? 6. Why, then, do we pray for our daily bread? 7. Why do we pray God to lead us to know that our daily bread comes from Him? 8. How will we receive our daily bread when we know that it is He who gives it to us? 9. Why does our Lord teach us to pray for our daily bread? 10. Why do we not say my, but our bread? 11. Of what should this remind us? 12. Why do we add the words this day? 13. Why do we not need to be anxious for the morrow? 14. What does our Lord teach us by putting the petition for our daily bread after the petitions for His heavenly gifts?
LESSON 44.
The Lord's Prayer.
The Fifth Petition.
Which is the Fifth Petition?
Our Father who art in heaven, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
What does this mean?
We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look upon our sins, nor on their account deny our prayer; for we are worthy of none of the things for which we pray, neither have we deserved them; but that He would grant them all to us by grace; for use daily sin much and indeed deserve nothing but punishment. So will we also heartily forgive and readily do good to those who sin against us.
1. "And forgive us our trespasses," thus the Lord teaches us to pray in the Fifth Petition. That means, as our Catechism explains these words: "We pray in this petition that our Father would not look upon our sins." A child that has disobeyed his father approaches him sorrowfully, asks his forgiveness, and promises to be more obedient in future. We, the children of God, do the very same thing. Every day we come to our heavenly Father with a contrite heart and ask His forgiveness. Daily we confess that we have sinned again. We are deeply sorry that again we have been disobedient to His good will, that we have deserved His punishment. But we also know that God is our gracious, loving Father, always willing to forgive us our many sins. We know that Christ has paid the ransom for our transgressions and earned God's forgiveness for us. In our Savior's name, trusting in Him, we come to God every day and pray with deep shame, but also with firm confidence: My dear Father in heaven, I, a poor sinner, come to Thee and humbly confess that again I have trespassed and sinned against Thee. Do not look upon my sins, do not punish me as I have deserved, but regard Thy Son's righteousness and for His sake forgive me all my sins. We pray as did the prodigal son: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in Thy sight, and I am no more worthy to be called Thy son." Luke 15,21. However, accept me again for Christ's sake.