主教导我们在祈求日用的饮食之后，便祈求神赦免我们的罪。

甚么是赦免？这个词若用在债项方面，就表示免去人所欠的债。如果用在过错方面，就表示宽恕别人的过错。若用在罪恶方面，就表示把过去所犯的罪一笔勾销。我们都熟悉这个词，父母饶恕孩子的过错时，经常会说：「我原谅你的过错，但以后不要再犯了。」

我们每个人都需要神的赦免。新英语圣经译本把这节翻译为「赦免我们所犯的过错」。这里所指的是甚么过错呢？由于这是神的儿女向天父发出的祷文，换言之，必然是神的儿女在生命中所犯的过错。

我们是否察觉到，我们很多时候都需要祈求神的赦免？我们没有正视自己的坏脾气、自我中心的表现和骄傲自大的心态，反而用种种借口来为自己解释。我们很少省察隐藏在心中的嫉妒，以及对其他信徒的不满。我们实在需要圣灵指出我们的过错。我们要经常默想约翰壹书一章7至9节的话，常向天父祈求说：「父啊，求你赦免我们的罪，洗净我们一切的不义。」

祷告的下半句也是十分浅显的：「正如我们免了人的债」。但我们不要误解，以为是因为我们饶恕了别人，所以才得着神的饶恕。事实上，我们是因为基督的救赎而得着神的赦免。既然神也愿意赦免我们的罪债，我们还有甚么理由不去饶恕得罪我们的人呢？

饶恕那曾经伤害我们的人，实在并不容易，可能伤害深及内心。然而，我们若要与基督有亲密的相交，就必须有一颗愿意宽恕别人的心。有没有人是我们难以宽恕的呢？曾经深深的伤害令你耿耿于怀。它在多久以前发生？对方是否真的犯了弥天大错？事件真的伤害了你，还是只伤害了你的自尊心？

你愿意把这件事带到神的面前，求神医治你的创伤，及你心中的不平吗？因着神愿意饶恕你，你可否同样饶恕别人呢？你愿意为基督的缘故而饶恕别人吗？

愿我们都时刻默念这句祷文：「求你免我们的债，如同我们免了人的债。」

In the family prayer given to us by our Lord, the request for daily bread is followed by the request for forgiveness.

What is forgiveness? The word, if used concerning a debt, means the debt has been cancelled. If it is used regarding an offence, it means the person has been pardoned. If used concerning sin, it means the sin has been wiped out. We all know the word very well. It reminds us of our parents saying, "I forgive you, but don't do it again."

We all need forgiveness. The New English Bible says, "Forgive us the wrong we have done." What wrong and what sin are we talking about here? This prayer belongs to the family of God, so it must be sin in the life of a child of God.

Do we realize how often we need to pray this prayer? We excuse our outbursts of temper, our selfishness and our pride. We think too little of envy or jealousy. We hide our wrong feelings toward a fellow Christian. We need the Holy Spirit to point these things out to us. We need to pray this prayer often, "Forgive us Father for the wrong and the sin in our lives." (1 Jn 1:7-9)

The second part of the phrase also is very plain: "As we also have forgiven our debtors". We are not forgiven because we have forgiven others. We are forgiven because of Christ. Having been forgiven ourselves, we could hardly withhold forgiveness for others.

Forgiving someone who has wronged us is not easy. It can cut very deeply, yet one of the conditions of complete fellowship with Christ is a forgiving spirit. Is there someone you have never forgiven? You were hurt deeply. You have never forgotten it. How long ago was it? How big was it really? Did it hurt you or did it only hurt your pride?

Can you ask God's forgiveness for those wrong feelings today? Then because He will forgive you, will you forgive that other person? Will you do it for Christ's sake?

Let's say the phrase again, "Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors." May that be our continuing prayer.