A JOURNEY INTO POWERFUL PRAYER
“TURNING DOWN TEMPTATION”
Matt.6:13
“…And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”
The six petitions of the Model Prayer are structured like a ladder. The top three rungs are in Heaven, having to do with God's FATHERHOOD.... His NAME. The next rung down concerns God's KINGDOM, the third rung involves His WILL. The next three rungs descend to earth as we pray for daily BREAD, FORGIVENESS, and finally PROTECTION from evil. On the ladder of this Model Prayer, we descend down from the contemplation of who God is, our Father, to who we are...sinful children.
In the first three petitions of this prayer our soul rises directly to God; in the three following we face the hindrances of these aspirations. IN THE LAST PETITION WE DISCOVER THE SOLUTION TO ALL THESE DIFFICULTIES. Proper prayer includes praying for spiritual protection. This final petition has two requests. The first is negative: "And lead us not into temptation". The second is positive:"... but deliver us from the evil one."
THE PRIMARY THOUGHT IN THIS PETITION IS THAT NO ONE IS ABOVE FALLING. No one is above shelving his or her faith, family, and/or future. No one is above yielding to temptation of sin. No one! Not the Pastor in his pressed suit, not the Deacons with their bibles and hymn books in hand, not the choir members in their robes nor the Church Mothers sitting on the front row! No one is immune to falling into sin.
Secondly, the emphasis of the petition expresses the need to know how to pray for spiritual protection for ourselves. That is what the sixth and final petition of this Model Prayer is all about: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil or the evil one." There are two things we should seek here.
THE DIRECTION OF GOD AND
THE DELIVERANCE FROM SIN.
THE DIRECTION OF GOD
It goes without saying we should constantly seek His direction!
If we are to be the kind of Christians that bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, then it is vital that we seek God's direction and His leading in our lives. Our attitude should be, "Lord lead me. Show me what you want me to do." Is this your attitude?
Psalm 143:10 —“Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness".
Psalm 5:8—Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face”.
Psalm 25:5 — “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day”.
Psalm 27:11— “Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies”.
“Lead us not into temptation”. To understand this petition we need to take a close look at the word "temptation" It comes from the Greek word {pi-ras-mos}, which carries the main meaning of "TESTING." It refers not so much to solicitation to do evil or enticement to sin, as to TRIALS THAT TEST THE CHARACTER OF A PERSON. We need to be clear that God does not tempt us to do evil. God did not cause Adam and Eve to sin. He is not the author of sin. If God tempted men to sin, then His nature would not be holy.
JAMES 1:13-14 — “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: [14] But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”
Why do we need to pray that He will not lead us into testing or temptation? Even though God is not the instrumental cause or author of our testing, He does permit or allow us to experience temptation from the World, from the Flesh, and from the Devil. The Bible is clear that temptations and testings are going to come into our lives. They are unavoidable. Times of intense temptation are going to happen. Therefore, this petition is a request that the Lord minimize (not eliminate) the occasions of our testing that may result in our sinning or giving in to our fleshly desires. It articulates the repentant disciple's felt weakness to stand up under severe trials in view of our sinfulness.
The idea here is, "Lord, preserve me from temptation that will bring me under its sway and will cause me to fall." It is the expression of the redeemed soul that so despises and fears sin that it wants to escape all prospects of falling into it, choosing to avoid temptation rather than having to defeat temptation. We cannot help being exposed to temptation, and we are not to pray that we will be spared being tempted at all. Rather, we are to pray that we will be spared those temptations from Satan that we cannot withstand. This phrase, then, must be used in the sense of permitting. DO NOT ALLOW OR PERMIT US, TO BE TEMPTED TO SIN.
• THANK GOD, HE PROMISES THAT WE WILL NOT BE GIVEN MORE THAN WE CAN HANDLE.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 — “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”.
The petition, "Lead us not into temptation," does not imply that God might lead us into some evil and we should pray that He would not. RATHER IT IS A NEGATIVE WAY OF SAYING WE WANT TO BE LED ARIGHT. It is a request to be led in the right direction, to be righteous in our walk. I do not know of anyone who went into sin when they were honestly praying to be led in the right way! Why? Because this is a prayer that God will answer! He desires that we walk the path of purity. We need, however, to pray this prayer if we are going to succeed in walking the right path, for the right path is not an easy one upon which to walk. A petition similar to this is offered by David, Psalms 141:4.
PSALM 141:4 — “Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.”
• GOD ALLOWS TESTINGS IN OUR LIVES IN ORDER TO GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE OUR FAITHFULNESS TO HIM. Job is a classic example of this fact. Satan tempted Job, but God allowed it. It is never God's desire to lead us into evil itself. Therefore, if we resist the devil, we are promised that he will flee from us.
• GOD ALSO ALLOWS TESTING AND TEMPTATION TO STRENGTHEN AND REFINE OUR CHARACTER, AND TO DEVELOP PURITY, MATURITY, JOY, AND PATIENCE IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE. Conquered temptation knits the fibers of our souls into muscular cords.
JAMES 1:3 — “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience”.
2 CORINTHIANS 8:2 — “How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality”.
THE DELIVERANCE OF GOD IS SOUGHT... "But deliver us from the evil one"
Proper prayer for spiritual protection from “the evil one” understands that the devil is a real person, not an impersonal cosmic force.
Satan is alive and well on planet earth. He is your enemy whether you are a Christian or not. We should pray that the Lord would deliver us from Satan's power, his snares, arts, and his temptations. In a cursed world where we are battered by evil all around us, in this prayer we confess our inadequacy to deal with evil. We confess the weakness of our flesh to resist temptations and the absolute impotency of human resources and strength to combat sin and rescue us from its clutches. Above all, we confess our need for the protection and deliverance of our loving heavenly Father. We need God's protection and strength that come from putting our faith in Christ for our salvation. If a person has not received Christ as their Savior, then Satan is their father, and they will be condemned to Hell for eternity with him.
JOHN 8:44 — Jesus said of the Pharisees, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
If you are a Christian, Satan is out to ruin your Life, your Testimony, your Family, your Joy and most importantly your Fellowship with God by deceiving you into sinful living.
1 PETER 5:8 — “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
The development of the idea of Satan in the Bible is of the greatest interest. In Hebrew the word Satan simply means "AN ADVERSARY." It can often be used of men. A man's adversary is his Satan. In the King James Version, the Philistines are afraid that David may turn out to be their adversary or Satan (1 Sam 29:4). Solomon declares that God has given him such peace and prosperity that there is no Satan left to oppose him (1 Ki 5:4). David regards Abishai as his Satan (2 Sam 19:22). In all these cases, Satan means an adversary or opponent. From that, the word Satan goes on to mean one who pleads a case against someone.
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Turning Down Temptation
A Journey Into Powerful Prayer
July 28, 2021 • Pastor Arthur Jackson III • Matthew 6:13
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A Journey Into Powerful Prayer