I hope you will allow me to ask another question about prayer for our WAS. Do you think we should ask God to forgive our spouse's sins?
Now this is different than giving our spouse's forgiveness. This is using our authority as a spouse to ask God's grace and forgiveness for our spouse's actions, as they may not be in a spiritual position to do so themselves. Here's a few things from the Bible to support the idea that perhaps we should:
Job Offers Sacrifices to Forgive His Children's Sins: Job Chapter 1, Job is a man of integrity (Job 1:1). The children are apparently adults as at least one of them owned their own house. (Job 1:13). Job prays and offers a sacrifice for the forgiveness of his children’s sins (but not his wife?), (Job 1:5). He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.
For Our Friends: Also the Bible story of friends bringing a lame man and lowering him through the thatched roof to see Jesus. And Jesus remarked in Mark 2:5 that it was his friend’s faith that forgave this man’s sins.
Mark 2:1-5 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (ESV.) (parallel in Luke 5:17-29).
One more verse - 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
