Praying for pardon

We’ve heard about the “sins of the fathers” being “revisited upon the children,” but God said – whether child or parent – each of us carries responsibility for own actions. That’s true, of course, since God said so! But it primarily refers to punishment such as fines or jail time.

Bad decisions and unhealthy lifestyles today can, and most likely will, affect even a great-grandchild. For example, they might eat the nutrition-less foods they had growing up. Or they might do drugs because their grandmother did. They might not be taught social skills or the godly standards expressed in God’s word.  

As one generation passes poor choices onto another generation who doesn’t know they even have choices, the chain continues – unless we seek God’s power in our lives and those of our ancestors and offspring for generations gone and to come.

That’s what Moses did. As the mediator between God and God’s people who had been enslaved for hundreds of years, Moses pleaded for this visitation of sin to cease.

Numbers 14:17-19 – a prayer of Moses

And now, I beseech thee,

let the power of my lord be great,

according as thou hast spoken, saying,

The Lord is longsuffering,

and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity

and transgression, and by no means

clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity

of the fathers upon the children

unto the third and fourth generation.

Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity

of this people according unto the greatness

of thy mercy, and as thou hast

forgiven this people, from Egypt

even until now.

From the Book of KJV Prayers - actual prayers from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) collected by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019 

Numbers 14:17-19 – a prayer of Moses

Lord, I need evidence of Your power!

You said You’re slow to anger

and filled with unfailing love,

forgiving all sorts of sin and rebellion,

yet not excusing the guilty.

Indeed, when parents sin, their choices

and actions affect other people–

even a great-great-grandchild!

But please pardon us, Lord!

Please keep on parenting us

with Your glorious love.

From the Book of Bible Prayers – actual prayers of the Bible collected from a variety of translations and paraphrased into everyday English by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019

May God forgive us our sins and break any chains of bad inheritance, traumas suffered, or “bad blood” between us and others affecting us, our families, and our countries in Jesus’ Name.

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