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AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL

Let’s get something settled right away – God is not capable of leading us into a sinful situation simply by His very nature.

James 1:13
Let no one say when he is tempted I am being tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil and He himself does not tempt anyone.”

James 1:2-3
Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

So why would Jesus instruct us to pray that God not do what He would and could NEVER (by the nature of His very Being) do?

Jesus is referring to a matter of our heart – we are to ask for strength to overcome the temptations that will surely come every day. We are to ask for strength to do what we know is the right thing to do each and every day. We need help to guard our eyes, our ears, our steps, our actions, our minds…

John McArthur said it best in his book The Lord’s Prayer – we are to ask, “Lord, keep us from a situation that we will not be able to overcome.”

So how do we practice what we pray?

First, we must remind ourselves often of Satan’s presence and power in this world; he is a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour.

Second, we need to be alert and aware, never being lulled into a false attitude that “Satan can’t get me!”  Yes, he can!

Third, stay in the Word.

James 4:7
Submit therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Psalm 119:11
Thy word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against thee.

As Jesus gave these words to us as a guide to pray, He is telling us that we are inadequate to fight Satan without Him.  We need His Words, His guidance, His protection, and we need them every day of our lives.

We at Journey onWord truly hope that this week of repeated reading and additional prompting through the daily articles has given you new insight into the words of The Lord’s Prayer.  We pray it isn’t just learned and then left in the vault of stored knowledge, but rather that it’s applied and results in the awakening, or loosing of the power of prayer in your life.

From childhood we have recited it … did you experience it more deeply this week?!