Catechism Question 94
What is the fifth request in the Lord’s Prayer and what does it teach us regarding prayer?
The fifth request is “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” In it we learn to pray that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely forgive all our sins, and we promise that by His grace we will forgive others as we have been forgiven.
Focus and Purpose of this Question
This is the seventh in a series of questions on the Lord’s Prayer. In this question, we ask what is the fifth request in the Lord’s prayer and what it teaches us. This question follows the same format as the previous questions, asking the words of the request, and what the request teaches us regarding prayer. Additionally, as we saw in the previous questions, when we pray for this specific thing, we are also committing ourselves to work for it. It would not be possible to pray with the attitudes we saw in question 86 and then not labor to see these things done in our own life.
The answer to this question tells us four key things. First, we are to pray that God would forgive us for all of our sins. Although God is gracious to us as His children, we are not to presume upon His grace. Instead, we are to specifically ask Him in His mercy to pardon and forgive us. Second, we recognize that God’s forgiveness is not because of anything within us, but because of Christ. We are forgiven for Christ’s sake. This reminds us of the great truths of the Gospel we saw in questions 19-32. Third, we are reminded that we can not pray for forgiveness and then be unwilling to extend it to others. If we wish to receive mercy, we must extend it to others. Thus, in praying this we are promising that by God’s grace we will forgive as we have been forgiven.
It should be noted that in Matthew’s version of the Lord’s Prayer the request is specifically about debts rather than sins. However, it is clear that sins are in view because this is how the idea of debts was often used by Jesus and others, because the very next verses specifically deal with forgiving sins, and because this is how Luke records it in his version of the prayer.
Additional Questions:
What is the fifth request Jesus taught us to pray, and what does it teach us?
What do we learn to pray in the fifth request?
What do we learn to pray in the fifth petition?
Scripture References:
Matthew 6:9–13
“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. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Luke 11:1–4
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
Psalms 51:1–7
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Psalms 32:5–6
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”— and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.
Psalms 143:2
Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.
1 John 1:8–10
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 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 has no place in our lives.
1 John 2:1–2
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Matthew 6:14–15
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 18:21–35
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.’”
Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Questions for Further Discussion:
If God has already promised to forgive our sins because of Christ, why do we need to confess them?
Why is god willing to forgive our sins? Is it because I have the right attitude – or because of what Christ has done?
Why does Jesus link my being forgiven of my sins with my willingness to forgive others? Is this teaching salvation by works – that I must forgive before I can be forgiven? What is Jesus wanting me to understand?
Consider the parable Jesus told in Matthew 18:23-35. How great is my sin before God? Has God forgiven that sin? How great is the sin others have committed against me in light of my sin before God? Do I have any right to harbor unforgiveness towards another?
Does forgiving someone mean that there are no consequences for their behavior? What is the difference between forgiveness and consequences?
Additional Information:
This question is based on question 126 of the Heidelberg Catechism and question 105 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Any resources you find on the Heidelberg or Westminster Shorter Catechisms will have a good discussion on this question.
For additional information, see the teaching “Praying For Our Forgiveness” (January 26, 2014), “Slipping Over the Line” (May 18, 2014), and “UnCommon Confession In Prayer” (April 7, 2013).
Suggested Worship Song:
Kyrie Eleison (Keith Getty and Stuart Townend)
(Kyrie Eleison is the Greek phrase for “Lord have mercy” and is a traditional prayer in the Church. It is a beautiful song of confession, and also a prayer to show mercy to others as we have received mercy.)
Kyrie eleison; have mercy.
Christe eleison; have mercy.
Kyrie eleison; have mercy.
Christe eleison; have mercy.
As we come before You
With the needs of our world,
We confess our failures and our sin,
For our words are many
Yet our deeds have been few;
Fan the fire of compassion
Once again.
CHORUS
When the cries of victims
Go unheard in the land,
And the scars of war refuse to heal,
Will we stand for justice
To empower the weak
Til their bonds of oppression
Are no more?
CHORUS
If we love our God with all our
Heart, mind, and strength,
And we love our Neighbors as ourselves,
Then this law of love
Will heal the nations of earth,
And the glory of Christ Will be revealed.
CHORUS
Lord, renew our vision
To be Christ where we live,
To reach out in mercy to the lost;
For each cup of kindness
To the least in our midst
Is an offering of worship
To the throne.