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Why Not Forgiveness First?

Mart De Haan Posted by Mart DeHaan
October 30th, 2010
33 Comments » 

Apple Sculpture: Israel Museum

Have you ever noticed that when our Lord teaches us to pray, he doesn’t begin with our need of forgiveness?

Isn’t it our inclination to try to resolve our sense of unworthiness as we begin our prayers?

Why do you think Jesus would encourage us to begin our prayers thinking about:

  1. Desiring the honor of the Father’s name
  2. Desiring that God’s will be done (and)
  3. Desiring God’s daily provisions for all  of our needs

Before teaching us to desire forgiveness from God… and for others?

Text: Matt 6:9-13


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33 Responses to “Why Not Forgiveness First?”

  1. SFDBWV says:
    October 30, 2010 at 6:31 am

    Good morning, It is interesting how the *Lords Prayer* can be scruntinized and always come out the same.

    Many sermons almost from each line.

    Jesus teaches us right off whom to direct our prayers to…Our heavenly Father, giving Him honor and the respect He deserves.

    Directing us to then seek and ask for His kingdom, surrendering our own will to His.

    Asking then for Him to provide for us what we need (not nessesarily want).

    The next one is is a eye opener…Forgiveness, with condition, placing our forgiveness upon our own willingness to forgive…ouch.

    Lead us not into temptation??? But deliver us from evil, because thine is the power to do so….

    Jesus kept it simple in teaching us how to pray, yet teaches us much about God inso doing.

    We don’t just call up God and start bossing Him around telling Him what to do….Forgiveness is a condition of the heart, and our heart has a lot of growing to go through in order to fully understand it. even though He is quick to give it.

    Steve

  2. scout1 says:
    October 30, 2010 at 7:08 am

    Morning!

    I like how the Lord put at the very start -“Our Father”! It puts your thoughts in a respectful mode, recognizing who we are talking to and then it continues.

    Mart, you said,”Isn’t it our inclination to try to resolve our sense of unworthiness as we begin our prayers?” I don’t think of that as often as I should. I’m inclined to just start talking. Like you would if you were talking to a parent. My mom was my best friend and listener. So, I guess that’s where I get that from.
    The Bible says that what Jesus did on the cross makes us worthy to come to Him, as a child/father relationship, so I do with much reverence. But please don’t misunderstand me, forgiveness and admitting your sins to God needs to be done to keep our heart clean and humble.

    Just some thoughts this morning.
    ME

  3. mike54marcus says:
    October 30, 2010 at 7:24 am

    When reflecting on your question concerning the Lord’s prayer the following simple thoughts came to me. I share them just to help the conversation grow.
    1. Desiring the honor of the Father’s name
    Jesus knew that we need to stop, consider who God is and in so doing consider who we are. God deserves our honor and praise. If we were beginning our prayers with the need of forgiveness are we saying our need is more important than our position with God, from whom we seek forgiveness? First, we must see that he is worthy of our praise, he is capable of doing all that we seek.
    2. Desiring that God’s will be done
    It is our sinful nature that gets in the way here. Our will is many times far more important to us then his will. We desire what we desire. By stopping and remember what God’s will for us through Christ Jesus our Lord, we can then truly know and understand that he seeks our good, not our destruction. Knowing and seeking his will furthers our growth in Him. Also, Jesus has us pray the truth here, His kingdom will come, what He wills happens.
    3. Desiring God’s daily provisions for all of our needs
    God’s provision for our daily need strengthens us to all things, including true forgiveness of others, true repentance of our sins. He knows what provisions we need for the day, and he provides it daily (by the second, minute, and hours) for us, knowing that each day has things that we need provisions for.

    May the Grace of God continue to bless your ministries.

  4. SFDBWV says:
    October 30, 2010 at 8:20 am

    scout1/Lynda/Me, ( sorry, can’t help myself sometimes)

    In reading your comment, I was reminded of Hebrews 4:16. Whereby we are instructed to come *boldy* before the thrown of grace.

    Funny how some words have a thine line of great distance in meaning…We are to be bold, and have confidence…Yet not be arrogant and presumtious.

    The great stunning difference that Jesus of Nazareth brought to Judaism was the concept that we can approach God as we would our *Father*, or perhaps for some a mother or parent. Someone who loves us like that.

    Like you I never really thought too much about my unworthiness, I think because it is one of those conditions I just take for granted…Were it not for Jesus, I could not approach God at all. It is only by the covering of the blood of Christ that I can now come *boldy* with confidence before the thrown of *grace*, at all.

    Even though God thought me worthy enough to become a man, endure suffering and insult and even physical death for me…I must remember that I am only worthy because He considers me to be so.

    26 degrees this morning here, just south of the Mason Dixon Line.

    Steve

  5. bubbles says:
    October 30, 2010 at 9:02 am

    Perhaps when our thoughts are in line with honoring God the Father and asking for His will to be done, it will help our hearts be prepared to talk with Him… putting Him first is the most important thing… remembering and reminding us who He is.

    Years ago, Mart, you wrote the Been Thinking on paper and sent it out with the Daily Bread mailings. You had an aritcle very similar to today’s blog. I still have that in my Bible. It had the picture of someone flying a paper kite.

    Your writing completely changed how I understood prayer and my prayer life. THANK YOU, THANK YOU for writing this and for your help.

    This is an honest question, NOT to dispute in any way what you wrote. How does the verse about regarding iniquity in the heart, and God not hearing me fit in? This is something that in which I’m not fully understanding. I have tried to research this in Scripture, but feel like I end up going around in circles on this verse. Thanks for any help you can give.

    While 4 others here know my real name, permission had never been given to use it here–although it has been put out here two or three times, and also the general location of residence. It has made me very uncomfortable for that information to be put out here. That was a primary reason for leaving here. We really need to be circumspect about who does/doesn’t want their information exposed. Please know the above paragraph isn’t written in anger or offense. Thank you.

  6. poohpity says:
    October 30, 2010 at 10:26 am

    I agree bubbles that the reason forgiveness isn’t first is because it is God first. When we have a good perspective about God then our understanding of who we are is a balanced accurate evaluation. There is no comparing ourselves to God in any way, shape or form because we do not even come close. I believe that is what humbles us enough to understand the mercy each of us has been shown and we can have an honest view of our self. If we consider ourselves righteous then what need is there for forgiveness.

    James tells us to admit our faults to each other (5:16) that I believe also helps us to not be so quick to judge someone else. Steve said it a while back God is God and we are not.

    I understand how very hard at times it can be to get a full understanding of God. It is easy to say there is a God because the creation displays the awesome power but I struggle at times to truly understand ALL that really means. If we pray in the manor that Jesus gave us although I may not understand ALL that God is we acknowledge that everything is about Him receiving our honor and respect, wanting God’s direction for our lives and understanding that everything we have is from God then I become less then I understand what I have been given in God’s mercy and forgiveness then it is not so hard to give it to others.

  7. saled says:
    October 30, 2010 at 5:34 pm

    This is an eye-opener for me. I’m familiar with the verse that bubbles mentioned about God not hearing me because of iniquity in my heart. For years I’ve believed that the church taught this, that you always ask forgiveness first when you pray, or God won’t hear you.

    In my experience, I’ve often fallen asleep trying to make sure that I dug deep enough into my heart to come up with all my sins, and never got to praise or requests. And at times I’ve just given up on confession and thanked God for Jesus who made the way for me to talk to God.

    I never thought about the pattern that Jesus gave us for prayer not beginning with the request for forgiveness. Maybe this is why; asking for forgiveness keeps our attention on ourselves instead of God and others. I will definitely feel more freedom in prayer from now on.

  8. bubbles says:
    October 30, 2010 at 7:28 pm

    Yes, saled, in the past I’ve done the same thing you have done. When I was younger, my mother told me about this verse–regarding iniquity in the heart; and so it was always begun with confession. I thought it was the way it had to be done based on that verse. Then, the paper Mart wrote came in the mail one day.
    Mart’s writing was really helpful in changing the way I viewed the whole concept of prayer. Isn’t this great? Reading that was one of the best things ever.

  9. Mart De Haan says:
    October 30, 2010 at 7:48 pm

    Bubbles, I take the idea of “regarding iniquity in our heart” as deliberate disregard for God. I think it would be so polluting to our heart that it we would not be honestly seeking to honor the Name of the Lord or wanting his will to be done in our heart/world. The Amplified Version says “He who turns away his ear from hearing the law [of God and man], even his prayer is an abomination, hateful and revolting [to God].(A)”

  10. marma says:
    October 30, 2010 at 8:38 pm

    I tend to do just that; ask for forgiveness first. Good to refocus. I have forgiveness in Christ, and should be confessing my sins as soon as I’m aware of them, I think, in accordance with 1 John 1:9.

    To answer your question, it occurs to me that what Bubbles, Poohpity, and Saled all said is true, we need to get the focus off us and on God. When I start prayer with confession, then the focus is on me and my needs, rather than on God. Matt 6:33.

    Focusing on God, His Will, and His kingdom helps me to humble myself in His sight, so He can lift me up.

    We humans find it very easy to focus on ourselves, whether on the good or the bad. Either way, focusing on ourselves puts us first and is kind of an idol, right?

  11. scout1 says:
    October 30, 2010 at 8:58 pm

    Hey Steve –

    You can call me all three names -but just make sure that you “call me for dinner”! ;) Ha Ha!

    You are so right -Only because of what Jesus did can we approach God’s throne. It’s a funny thing, when I pray, it is with reverence but also with no holding back since God knows everything anyways. But, you know that song that has the lines in it: “Surrounded by His glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still? Will I stand in your presence or to my knee will I fall? Will I sing Hallelujah or not be able to speak at all? I can only imagine. . . .” it goes something like that. Even though we can come boldly before His throne with our prayers -when it is actually time to stand before Him, its such an overwhelming thought that I can’t even describe . . .

    Prayer – What a wonderful things God has done for us.

    Good-night.

  12. Regina says:
    October 30, 2010 at 9:30 pm

    Good Evening All
    Hope all is well in your lives.

    Mart asked, “Why do you think Jesus would encourage us to begin our prayers thinking about:

    1.Desiring the honor of the Father’s name
    2.Desiring that God’s will be done (and)
    3.Desiring God’s daily provisions for all of our needs
    Before teaching us to desire forgiveness from God… and for others?”

    I believe God encourages this type of prayer because He’s always worthy of our worship and praise! Our Heavenly Father is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in mercy (1 Pet. 5:7; Ps. 145:8)! Thinking of the four living creatures who worship God day and night and never stop saying:
    “Holy, holy, holy
    is the Lord God Almighty
    who was, and is, and is to come (Rev. 4:8).”

    A Bible verse comes to mind…
    Psalm 100:4, AMP
    Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!

    Enjoyed a beautiful, sunny day in Texas. Noticeably cooler but no complaints here! :)

    Blessings,

  13. kaliko88 says:
    October 31, 2010 at 1:33 am

    I’d never thought about it that way. This helps a great deal. I still struggle with prayer because I do feel so inadequate. I’ll be looking at it differently now, I hope.

    Regina, that’s my favorite psalm. :)

  14. SFDBWV says:
    October 31, 2010 at 5:50 am

    I don’t know about everyone, but I am in an almost constant communication with God all day. Interupted only by the duties and matters of the day.

    It is true that any time I am awake and much of when I dream I am aware of God and attempting to talk with Him.

    So for me the prayer that Jesus gave the Disciples as a guide as to how to pray…Is that, a guide.

    Much of my prayer life is directed by the Holy Spirit, He will stop me many times in mid sentence or word with a redirection.

    Often in my life I have awaken in the middle of sleep, with an urging to pray for someone, somtimes I have no idea for whom…I just obey the Spirit and pray for God’s will and intentions to be done in such unknown matters.

    But the guide line Jesus gave us is the answer to what the disciples ask from him…To tell them how they should pray, not nessesarily what.

    The first word in anyones prayer should be *Father* or *Heavenly Father* or even just *God*… He is well aware to whom your heart is speaking toward and the prayerful condition of your heart, from the outset.

    As we have spoken many times in the past though, When I pray, I always add that I come in the name of Jesus of Nazareth…So as to open the door, or gateway to the Father.

    Even though I believe God already knows and recognizes it, I want to make certain to give Jesus full recognition when I talk with God.

    Funny how Jesus wanted to keep it simple yet we have to complicate everything…

    Steve

  15. dja says:
    October 31, 2010 at 7:05 am

    Amen, Steve.
    For me prayer is all the time at any time, including in the middle of the night when I awake. The Spirit brings to my mind matters that I sometimes can forget (or want to forget). Only the Lord can give me that peace within when I talk out things with Him.

    Last night I went to bed a bit emotional and stressed, and although I was very tired, I was having a hard time shutting down. But when I sought the Lord, He quieted my heart and gave me sleep. I awoke once during the night and talked with Him again, and He gave me more good rest. He is my Father, and unlike my earthly Father whom I loved but had to think about the best time to talk to or not talk to, I can go to my Heavenly Father and know with confidence that He is listening and is helping me.

    Thank you for your prayers. I would ask for continued prayers for our family. My husband is now in the hospital with viral menengitis. It has been a rough couple of days, but the Lord has blessed us with wonderful drs., nurses and staff at the hospital. Everyone has been so kind, and, hopefully, Andy will be home on Tuesday.
    Now I need to get ready for church and then back to the hospital.
    Have a blessed day!
    ~Della

  16. SFDBWV says:
    October 31, 2010 at 7:25 am

    Prayers for you and Andy, Della. Hospital life is exhausting and draining. My thoughts will be with you today.

    Steve

  17. poohpity says:
    October 31, 2010 at 10:13 am

    “Why not forgiveness first?” I think that forgiveness is motivated by our trust in God and our desire to please Him. So having those three other parts first helps us to focus on the source of that forgiveness. Who can out forgive God?

    dja, your family will be in my prayers. Thank you for sharing your need.

  18. InHisHands says:
    October 31, 2010 at 11:12 am

    Good morning all,

    My prayer life matches that which Steve and dja speak of. Often I am awakened in middle of the night and wonder what woke me – then I ask the Lord to guide me as to who it is He wants me to pray for. All through the day I am, as Paul instructed, praying without ceasing – the Lord will point things out that I do not see for myself, through a conversation with another or seeing something I do not understand and so we talk all day.

    Bubbles: you said, “This is an honest question, NOT to dispute in any way what you wrote. How does the verse about regarding iniquity in the heart, and God not hearing me fit in?” I may not have the correct answer, but the way I was explained the meaning of these words and have sought answeer in the Scriptures – the Lord does not receive the prayers of the unregenerated – He is listening for the prayer that opens their hearts for Him to be able to come in and answer all their prayers. An unregenerated heart or a hardened heart will not seek His will so those prayers only ‘reach the ceiling’- As a child of God we have an open door to speak to Him at anytime, about anything – but, He is more pleased when we come to Him with praise and supplication, seeking His will be done.

    Hope I made sense to you all, that is how I understand it.

  19. poohpity says:
    October 31, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    1. Desiring the honor of the Father’s name.

  20. bubbles says:
    October 31, 2010 at 3:16 pm

    Mart, thank you for the clarification.
    pooh, Thank you for what you said here also, yes.

  21. rokdude5 says:
    October 31, 2010 at 3:21 pm

    I see Im not the only one who never thought about this to which I say, thanks Mart.

    When I first opened my eyes in the morning, I try to give God praise and thanks for the gift of another day. Beyond that, I really dont have a pattern of prayers. I just start mentally and spiritually talking to Him; asking Him to guide me in my day ahead. I thank Him for choosing my family and me. (John 15:16)

    Plus I pray for those in need and thank Him for His blessings on my family and me.

    For me, I do repent of my waywardness and ask for the strength not to repeat it but I dont ask for forgiveness since its a done deal. (That’s the beauty of the Good News!) I do thank the Father for the sacrifice of His Son and the atonement of my sins – even sins that I have yet to commit!!

  22. poohpity says:
    October 31, 2010 at 4:12 pm

    1 John 1:9-10, If I truly understand my nature then the many times in a day that I sin I confess it and ask to be forgiven assured that it is forgiven but I have to continually take that time to identify the sin and confess it. To be aware of the sin is what keeps me humbled at the foot of the Cross and not looking at the sin in others. Just in getting angry in a day or thinking of my needs before someone else or the many times I sit in judgment of someone else shows my pride and the many times I do not share the gospel. The biggest sin each day is not honoring God above all else, above family, above work, above myself, above toys, and above my time. That shows me where my focus is.

  23. markwest59 says:
    October 31, 2010 at 9:50 pm

    Im so glad that Jesus is my High Priest who makes intercession for me, knowing this I cant bodly come before the Throne of Grace,key word Grace when I call upon the Lord God in Jesus name, the name by the way that gets all of Heavens attention!! I would never try to come before Almighty God knowing I have sinned intentionally, without asking for forgiveness first.As the priest in the old testament offered up sacfrices for sins done ignorantly, I have the Faith in Jesus to start me prayer To my Father God in Jesus name. There our alot of times that I just want to prasie and worship Him without asking a thing.

  24. Mart De Haan says:
    November 1, 2010 at 6:33 am

    I agree with, and appreciate, so much the perspectives of the above discussion.

    For those who know Christ as Lord and Savior, cultivating a desire to honor the Father’s name, to see his will done in our lives, and to depend on him for daily needs is a matter of first importance that puts any lingering (and not conscious) need for forgiveness in perspective.

    Such desires might even heighten our sensitivity to how fall short we constantly fall of what is most important, and deepen our gratitude for the overwhelming forgiveness that extends far beyond our own awareness.

    Am reminded here that Jesus taught his disciples that they had already been washed, but were not completely clean (John 13:10).

    One additional thought. Seems to me that if we are aware of an issue that we need to come clean on, this model prayer does not keep us from first doing the urgent business of acknowledging our sin so as to be able to honor the Father’s name… without that conscious baggage…

  25. SFDBWV says:
    November 1, 2010 at 8:51 am

    We are taught that even if we are at the altar and have an issue against another, we must first go and resolve that matter (Matt 5:23-24) Again in 1 Peter 3:7 we read to honor our wifes so that our Prayers be not hindered.

    So it would seem that the condition of our own heart either impedes or establishes our prayers. That there may be other matters with which we may need to cleanse ourselves of, in order to have a better prayer life.

    Certainly the *Lords Prayer* is our outline for how to pray….But the condition of our heart is what God sees and recognizes. For when He looks into our heart, He is looking for Himself (The Christ) to be looking back at HIm.

    Steve

  26. poohpity says:
    November 1, 2010 at 11:50 am

    Mart, I read your pamphlet on “Fool’s Gold” it was very good.

    I have trouble sometimes really putting into perspective, God. I can not really explain what I mean other than I do not fully comprehend the majesty. It is easy for me to understand human nature because I live that and while reading the bible us folks have not done to much different over all that period of time. It would seem we fall into the same problems and trails just different cultures, in different areas and in different times but all things are relatively the same as far as our humanness goes. I guess what I am asking is do you have trouble at times understanding the vastness of God?

  27. markwest59 says:
    November 1, 2010 at 12:12 pm

    God, WOW who can comprehend His Love and His Mercy, His Grace His Power, I look at the stars and the moon and and all His wonderful creations to think He created all that, to begin to comprehend we start at Jesus oh what a Savior. There’s power in the Blood,1 Cor 1:18 For the preaching of the Cross is to them that persish foolisness, but unto us which are saved it is the POWER OF GOD. Jesus Christ and Him crucified is the wisdom of God. Our feeble minds can not begin to understand His greatness. Im so glad that Im complete in Him. When its all over and we behold Him with our eyes,we will be in such awe and the things that has been hidden we will see,we will know then that our earthly mind could not begin to understand God, so we look to Jesus, the whole bible points to Him to the glory of the Father..Praise His name.Somettimes my heart is so overwhelmed with just the the thought of Jesus, that He decided in eternity past to come and live and die as a Man,so we can be in fellowship with the Father, back in right standing with Him, and give back what Adam lost at the fall. Words fail me of the thought of that, all I can do is give Him my life and worship Him daily and seek His face, for the rest of my life, I want to know Him more and more. Praise God

  28. bubbles says:
    November 1, 2010 at 4:11 pm

    Pooh, your very thoughts parallelled my thinking on the playground this afternoon. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful and unusual sunrise this morning. The mist rising out of the earth and turning pink by the sun is a quiet testament to His creativity. Oh, my, how creative He is! Standing on a cliff of huge rocks that overlooks the river reminds me of how huge God is and how small I am. His creation is testament to how great He is, and how small humans are.

    Then, when we try to comprehend His mercy, forgiveness, love, and attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, and immutability; how can our human minds ever grasp that and then some of exactly how majestic He is? Guess if we could, He would not be God. :)

    Won’t it be fantastic to finally be in Heaven, and to see with our eyes the glory of God?

  29. Regina says:
    November 1, 2010 at 10:40 pm

    Good Evening All
    Off topic here…
    Hope all is well in your lives. I’ve enjoyed reading the comments shared on this blog topic. Thank you all for sharing. Was hoping to share more of my thoughts on this blog topic today, but (alas) was called away by chores.

    Kaliko88 – I have several favorite Psalms! Psalm 1, 8, 23, 27, 42, 46 & 91, and I’m sure I have more! :-)

    Just a reminder, don’t forget to vote. Many of our forefathers/mothers suffered and died for our right to do so. Let’s do our part to honor their sacrifice.

    Was a cool, sunny day in Texas. Not sure about the temp.

    Blessings,

  30. SFDBWV says:
    November 2, 2010 at 8:07 am

    19 degrees here in Bayard this morning, however it is probably the warm spot for some places around here. It looks as though it will be a beautiful day.

    Have to appreciate the beauty of a morning like this, the frost covers everything and the rising sun glitters through each and every thing giving off its rainbow of colors through the ice.

    The rainbow…promise.

    Don’t know about all of you but sometimes I just stand and love and am loved by God. If in those moments I can even speak, it is usually just aa string of glory to Him and His Son and His Spirit. Anything I attempt to say very inadequate to fully express my feelings.

    Promise and anticipation, the edge of prayers realized, indeed an elated feeling, a *rapturous* moment.

    I hope everyones day is blessed today.

    Steve

  31. bubbles says:
    November 2, 2010 at 8:42 am

    Steve,
    Yes! the quiet early mornings are a blessing.

  32. poohpity says:
    November 2, 2010 at 11:24 am

    “Why Not God First?”

  33. poohpity says:
    November 2, 2010 at 11:27 am

    If we do not have God first then who is to say a sin is a sin. Who is to say that anything we do is wrong? Without God first then who would require us to forgive in the first place. First God then all else follows!!

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