When a person, who wants salvation, starts praying this prayer, they may get stuck here. Their struggle with a lack of forgiveness can cause them to feel like God won’t give them forgiveness through salvation. Even new or untrained Christians can feel like God is going to hold that lack of forgiveness against them. Fear can grow in their heart causing them to think that God is judging them and refusing to forgive them because they aren’t forgiving others.

But, that “want to do good” is what God is looking at. True, evil is right there with them; however, the grace of God is using the blood of Jesus to cover it. God goes ahead and forgives them even though they haven’t YET forgiven a certain person. Jesus’ requirement for us to forgive is still in place; but, it isn’t a sin because Jesus purchased that forgiveness (Romans 8:1).

You will need to help them see they are being covered by Jesus’ blood all during their struggle with forgiveness. Their lack of forgiveness needs to be a constant CONCERN (Romans 7:24); but, it must not be a FEAR that they have lost their eternal relationship with God (Romans 8:31-39). The person who establishes a permanent relationship with God through salvation, will keep on seeking a forgiving heart. Even though they will NEVER be able to forgive through trying to forgive, God WILL empower them to forgive.