Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Opening Scripture

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:31-34

Opening Prayer

Gracious Father, thank you for this day, another chance to love and serve You. Help me make the most of it and do everything I can to please You. May Your priorities be mine. Remind me that, apart from You, I can do nothing. Help me follow the Spirit today as He guides me in grace, truth, and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Help me not to be foolish, but to understand your good, pleasing, and perfect will. Open my heart and mind to all You want me to know and learn. As I draw near to You, please draw near to me and help me sense Your presence. Help me to stand strong against the evil one, and to think and act as Your child. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Matthew 6:9-15

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Reflection  

Today’s passage includes what is known as the “Lord’s Prayer.” We have been consistently praying a version of this prayer each Monday for many months. Today’s “Opening Prayer” is another expression of it.

Today’s text is more accurately referred to as the “Model Prayer” since Jesus gave it as an example in response to the disciples’ request. The true “Lord’s Prayer” is offered by Jesus to the Father in John 17, which we’ll look at in a couple of weeks.

After instructing His disciples to avoid the performance prayers of the Pharisees and the babbling prayers of the pagans, Jesus tells them to approach God with reverence and humility as “our Father in Heaven.” This intimate, familial posture with Almighty God was a radical concept for first-century Jews.

Yet, as the writer of Hebrews explained, Jesus Himself is our great High Priest, forever interceding with the Father on our behalf. He has entered the Most Holy Place once and for all by His own blood. He obtained eternal redemption for us, making us perfect forever, we who are being made holy. He serves as the Mediator of the new covenant on our behalf. Therefore, “let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Amen!

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This declaration of “now and not yet” inaugural eschatology longs for God’s rule and reign – His justice, mercy, and holiness – to expand in individual hearts and minds. It is an appeal for God’s redemption and restoration to spread throughout His creation. It is both a future hope and a present reality.

Even now, the Kingdom of Heaven exists wherever “Jesus is Lord!” Our prayer is that His kingdom will continue to advance through transformed lives, families, and communities as the Spirit assumes greater control, pushing back the forces of evil. We help answer that prayer as we daily submit to God’s authority and purpose and “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.”

“Give us today our daily bread.” Even as we choose to work hard, be productive, and live each day responsibly, we ultimately trust God to provide what we need. That provision is more than food and physical necessities; it includes our relational and spiritual needs as well. As we draw near to God, He draws near to us (James 4:8).

The Greek word “epiousios” appears only here in Jesus’ model prayer as recorded in Matthew and Luke. It literally means subsistence for the coming day. The implication is that Jesus’ disciples – citizens of His kingdom – continually trust God the Father to provide what is necessary for those under His care. That teaching is certainly reflected in Jesus’ words later in Chapter 6 (see Opening Scripture).

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Ouch! Jesus gets very personal here. The Lord wants to make sure we don’t rush past this point by restating it even more forcefully, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Jesus graphically illustrates this principle in Matthew 18:23-35 with a parable. One day, a king called in a servant who owed him infinitely more than the man could ever repay. The servant pleaded for mercy, and the king, moved with compassion, forgave the entire massive debt and released him.

That man left the king’s presence forgiven, but when he saw a fellow servant who owed him a small amount, he grabbed the man and began to choke him, demanding complete and immediate repayment. The second servant begged for patience and time to repay, but the first servant had him thrown in prison.

Other servants saw what happened and reported it to the king. The king was outraged! He demanded that the first servant be brought back to him. “You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.”

Jesus concludes that parable with the stern warning, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

Just as prayer is a requirement for citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven, so is forgiveness. Paul offers this instruction in Colossians 3:12-14.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Those who have experienced God’s infinite forgiveness can and should offer forgiveness to others. We must forgive if we hope to be forgiven. Those who have received the Father’s mercy must extend that same mercy to others. To refuse is to be “a wicked servant.” Denying forgiveness to others indicates our ungratefulness and unworthiness of the incredible pardon we ourselves have received.

Forgiveness is not simply a verbal response to an apology. It is a deliberate, willful act of obedience based on God’s transforming love. Forgiveness acknowledges the offense and releases bitterness and resentment. Forgiveness is between you and God, as much as it is between you and the other person.

Forgiveness can take time, but it begins with a decision. Forgiveness contributes to your own health and wholeness. Forgiveness involves “letting go” of that which you can choose to hold on to. Forgiveness requires trusting God and relying on Him.

If you have been hurt, reflect on God’s forgiveness and mercy toward you. Pray for a forgiving heart. Acknowledge the hurt to God and ask Him to help you. Pray for the offender to be reconciled to God. Ask God to work in the other person’s life in a miraculous way. Seek reconciliation if possible. Ask God to guide you in addressing the situation in a way that honors Him.

Is there someone you need to forgive? Ask God to help you do that.

“The greatest tragedy in life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.” F.B. Meyer

You can do more than pray after you’ve prayed, but you can’t do more than pray until you’ve prayed!