These debts presented here include sins; sins aren’t the only thing included in the word “debts;” but, that is all we can deal with at this time. Your friend has to be helped to see that they, like all the rest of us humans, have done things that have hurt people. In some cases they didn’t mean to, in others they did. There have been times when they couldn’t identify with other’s situations and they said and did things that damaged those people. There have been times when they were insensitive to other people’s needs and problems. Other people tried to reach out to them and they couldn’t or wouldn’t help. God calls this behavior sin.

Help them understand that every adult has contracted the spiritual disease of sin. The reason they hurt people is because they are damaged themselves. God understands that they can’t help themselves. He knows they are going to continue to hurt people because they have contracted the spiritual disease of sin. He knows that, if left untreated, sin is going to keep on making them worse. No matter how hard they try, they are going to mistreat more and more people.

The important thing to teach them is that God isn’t upset with the fact that they sin. The Bible says that He responded to their condition with love. At a time when we were all infected with this sin disease, He demonstrated His love for us by dying for our sins (Rom 5:8). Help this Scriptural concept speak to your friend’s heart. They need to realize that the big issue is sin; but, Jesus has solved the issue of sin. He has provided all the help they need concerning the deeds they have committed against themselves and others.

Read this to your friend to help them understand that all the sins in their life can be cured: 1 John 4:9-10 This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

It is like your friend going in and getting medicine that cures a deadly, highly contagious disease. There is only one way for them to die from it and for them to pass it on to others. They would have to refuse to go get the cure. That is their case with the deadly, highly contagious spiritual disease of sin. Jesus produced the cure; all they have to do is “do what it takes” to experience the cure. Once they do, they get healed and they are then helped to stop spreading it.

Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God isn’t going to judge anyone because they are a sinner; He is going to judge them because they have a way of being set free from sinning against themselves and all the people around them; He is going to judge them if they won’t accept the cure. By praying this prayer that Jesus provided, your friend will be accepting the cure.

In praying this part of this prayer, your friend is facing two issues. First, they are asking to be forgiven for all the bad things they have done to their self and others, whether they did it on purpose or accidently. Second, they are being asked to forgive all those who have hurt them. You may have to take time allowing them to see if Jesus brings anyone into their mind. For the moment, they will only need to forgive those people Jesus brings into their memory. He will bring others to mind later on; that will require them to keep forgiving each person that Jesus brings up.

If your friend is having problems with being willing to forgive ALL those who have hurt them, then spend some time assisting them in asking God to help them forgive these people. Later we will be looking at some more Scriptures that follow this prayer as Jesus tells us how important it is to forgive all who have hurt us.

This word “debt” is being used to describe all the things that we have done to hurt people and all the things people have done to hurt us. If your friend prays the words “Forgive us our debts” and realizes this is talking about all their sins, God will forgive them of all their past, present, and future sins. The main requirement, however, is that they do the same for those who have sinned against them. Some people have said things to your friend that they feel they should apologize to them for. In other words, they OWE them an apology. Others OWE them money or things they have taken or borrowed from them. If they can pay them back, let them. If they can’t, forgive the debt. If they can apologize, let them. If they can’t or won’t, forgive them. Why?

Jesus had to give His life in order for your friend to be able to be forgiven of their debt (sins). If there had been any other way, God would have done it and protected His Son; but, there was no other way. With our little brains we may think we could have found some other way. We might think that we didn’t need this sacrificial death. But, if God, Who knows everything, decided there was no other way for our spiritual disease to be cured, then we must believe there was no other way.

Since Jesus paid such a heavy price for your friend to be forgiven, He is asking them to forgive others of the debts (sins) that have been created against them. If your friend needs more time praying for the strength and desire to forgive others, then take out time to help them.