This petition is prayed in the union of fellowship with God's people as we stand in that fellowship of sinners. We must know that "we are all in the same boat" being continual sinners who are forgiven by God! In the parable in Matthew the servant never understood his forgiveness because he NEVER understood his DEBT. He could never pay for it and it was always a matter of mercy...that which he did not understand. It also is concerned with our obligation and everything that does not reach that obligation to God makes us debtors. We need to address our specific sins for sure (and there is room to address those specific sins we have,) but secret sins, sins of ommission and commission ALL make us indebted to God as our whole life is sinful. The force is that we are born in sin and completely dependant on the grace of God.

The idea is to "blot it out" or "cast it into the sea and remember it no more." The scape goat in the Old Testament was let go into the wilderness to show that God remembers them no more. He sees us in the blood of Calvary. We are justified in His forgiveness. We cannot have this prayer however without the knowledge of or a sorrow for our sin. We can't pay for our original sin much less our continual sin. There is a sincere sorrow for our sin against God and we pray that our sins are not imputed to me and put on my account but cover them. Cover my charge to the sacrifice of Christ and we live keeping the law of God though we know we cannot keep it perfectly. Impute to me the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ and then we understand that we live in a forgiving spirit understanding this very fact. Not a grounds for OUR forgiveness but we enjoy the bounties of God's forgiveness living in a forgiving spirit.

The servant thought HE could pay for his debt and is why he could go to his fellow servant to extract his measly debt from him. If we have tasted it is inheriant that we live in a forgiving spirit!