October 8

A Forgiving Spirit

And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well. — Mark 11:25 BSB

There is a story of a Christian woman whose friend found her with bowed head, as if in prayer. Her friend spoke to her gently, knowing she was grieving deeply. “I’ve been trying to say the Lord’s Prayer,” she said, “but I can’t get through it.” She had recited the prayer thousands of times before, in her happy childhood, joyful youth, and on her wedding day, surrounded by laughter, flowers, and the sweet voices of children. The words had always flowed like music. But now, after a great sorrow, she started, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will—" but she couldn’t finish. She couldn’t yet say, "Thy will be done."

There’s another story of a nobleman in Alexandria who bitterly complained to a bishop about his enemies. In the midst of his complaint, the bell rang for prayer, and both men knelt to pray the Lord’s Prayer. When they came to the words, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive," the bishop suddenly stopped, leaving the nobleman to continue alone. Startled by the sound of his own voice and the bishop’s silence, the nobleman stumbled over the words and stopped praying. The meaning of the prayer hit him, and he rose in despair. Only when he learned to forgive those who had wronged him could he sincerely pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”