Matthew 6:12 (NIV) And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Jesus’ model prayer, often referred to as the Lord’s Prayer, now comes to the second of three requests. This plea uses terminology that literally implies debt but is used as a reference to wrongdoings. The forgiveness we’re taught to pray for, here, implies something mutual. It suggests that being forgiven and forgiving others are closely tied together in our own spiritual lives.
This reference to sin and forgiveness, in fact, is one reason some commenters dislike calling this passage the “Lord’s Prayer.” Strictly speaking, these are Jesus’ instructions on how to pray, not something He was praying, Himself. More importantly, as one who was tempted but without sin (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21), the request made in the verse is one Jesus would never have prayed.
The Greek word translated here as “debts” (opheilema-4052), which most literally means a person’s “dues” or “obligations.” In practice, this refers to sins or “transgressions.” This phrasing would have been especially meaningful to Matthew, who at one point was a tax collector (Matthew 9:9) who made a living by coercing people to pay more than they owed in taxes.
This is both a request and a declaration. It asks God to forgive the one praying and states the one praying has forgiven those who wronged them. Jesus is instructing believers to pray for forgiveness. 1 John 1:9-10 (NIV) teaches the same thing: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. But Jesus is also declaring the necessity of extending forgiveness to other people.
Jesus came to earth to make it possible for those who trust in Him to be fully forgiven by God for their sins once and for all (John 3:16-17). He will do this by paying the price for sin, giving His life as the final blood sacrifice, and then defeating death through His resurrection. Confronted with such a sacrifice, God’s expects His people, those of us who have received the unfathomable gift of forgiveness, to forgive others. This idea is important enough for Jesus to re-emphasize after this model prayer is complete in verses 14-15. This plea uses terminology that literally implies debt but is used as a reference to wrongdoings. The forgiveness we’re taught to pray for, here, implies something mutual. It suggests that being forgiven and forgiving others are closely tied together in our own spiritual lives. Confession of sin is a key aspect of prayer. Are you regularly confessing your sin directly to God? And are you forgiving others around you?