Lord, Teach us to Pray

Once, Jesus disciples approached Him and asked that He teach them to pray. Jesus responded by teaching them the Lord's Prayer. There is much to learn in and about the Lord's Prayer. That's what we are continuing to do, looking at and learning from the Lord's Prayer.

"Lead us not into temptation,"
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden could tell me about temptation. So could Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane. They wrestled with temptation and lost. When the devil, the world, and my sinful flesh launch their temptations, their goal is to damage and, ultimately, to destroy my faith.

So what am I asking in this petition for God to do about their temptations? Though my holy, loving Father never sends temptations to me so I do evil, he is more than capable of stopping them or giving me the ability to conquer them when they do come. And I need his help very much. Temptation is no stranger to me. Regardless of where I move, temptation finds my forwarding address. Regardless of my age, I'm never done with temptation. It only gets different, not less, as I grow older. How I need this petition-this asking my Father either to stop temptations or to strengthen me to overcome them.

With this petition I'm confessing, "How weak I am!" Paul warns me, "If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" (1 Corinthians 10:12). I dare not flex my spiritual muscles or taunt the enemies of faith, "Take your best shot." There's no putting myself in harm's way as if I can stroll the dark streets of temptation and not be mugged. Such actions are not only foolish, they're often fatal. Instead, I draw ever closer to the strength I need. When the bully of temptation blocks my path, I go to my bigger brother. Jesus knows what to do to overcome the evil one.

In the wilderness, he sent the devil packing with the words "It is written." From him I learn to swing God's Word like some ultrasharp sword against the enemies of my faith. My only source of strength in the face of temptation is God's all-powerful Word.

Yet I often fall, not because God's Word isn't strong enough but because I don't utilize its strength as I might. Then what? More than ever, I need to look to Jesus. His pardon still covers. His love still reaches. His strength still stands. "Arise, go in peace, your sins are forgiven," his wondrously sweet voice assures me. "Arise, go and sin no more," his pardoning love not only encourages but also strengthens me.

When I pray, "Lead us not into temptation," I'm at the same time asking God to lead me into his Word. There he graciously makes available the strength I need for my struggle against the enemies of my faith.