Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Forgiveness, too, must be a completed act before we begin to pray. Our Lord lays stress on this one point in the prayer, returning to it after he had closed the form, that he may assure us that the divine procedure will, in this respect, be fashioned to our own.
Debt is a mild word for our sin, and is broader than trespass.
Trespass indicates a misstep, a wrong-doing, but debt an unfulfilled obligation of any kind. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. That God may be glorified in the hearts of humanity by all men becoming obedient unto his will. These petitions come first, for it is of first importance to us that God should be honored in his person, in his authority and in his desires. The three petitions represent three stages of spiritual growth in the communion and fellowship with God.