Mat 6:13; A Prayer that Every Day Causes Us to Journey On.

Thursday September 5, 2024

Intro:

The Christian way of life is viewed in Scripture using the imagery of a journey. God does not drag you along this journey kicking and screaming (12 spies). You have to decide to walk it and you have to decide to commit to it for your life if you are going to make it to the end.

The journey is fraught with peril and danger, and especially, a determined enemy who will use any trick or deceit or scheme he can think of to get you on another journey or to get you to quit or to reject the leader of this journey.

Hence, Jesus gives us our last line of prayer. Stated every day it is my own declaration that I am making ground on my journey today, and helping others to do the same.

Mat 6:9-13. We cannot sit in the quiet calm of forgiveness, we have a journey ahead. We’ve got to armor up, and get moving. 

Journey: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one,” Jesus’ audience would be thinking of Exodus and the imagery of shepherd in the OT. 

In this light, not into temptation makes sense. The Exodus did not hope for bitter water, or no water, or war with Amalekites, or big, scary bad guys inhabiting the promised land. Sheep have to be taken to grazing grounds and the way is always dangerous to them (geological features, predators). Exo 13:17-22; Psa 23. 

To them and to us, the wolves or predators are sin - our debt to God which He just mentioned.

To us reading the gospel (the church) - the trial in view is from the source of the evil one (Mat 4:1)

What kind of temptation or test is Jesus referring to? 

Looking at the text, we read “evil” but the adjective can be translated “evil one,” and it most likely should be (Joh 17:15). 

He is referring to the recurring trials that are significantly difficult and painful, and in which, sin is a very tempting relief, and in which the requirement for endurance is a more mature faith. 

These are trials of growing. You do not have enough faith for them when they begin, but you are ready to grab more faith in their midst. 

They demand a more mature faith than you currently possess - they always cause growth when they are met with faith.

Schemes of the devil; Scriptures. 1Pe 5:8; Eph 4:27; 6:11: 2Co 2:11; 11:14; 1Ti 3:7; Jam 4:7. 

Why pray not to be led into temptation / testing? 

We do not hope for trial, for these all involve suffering and pain. 

We want God to lead us to finish the race as smoothly and sinlessly as possible because we long to please Him (Jer 31:9; Isa 26:7; Psa 26:11; Pro 3:6). 

When we pray we are actually asking God the Father to do something. 

The people Jesus is speaking to very much believe that answered prayer is going to lead to God doing something. 

It is more than words that make you ready. That is psychological and we do not discount it. God is making you mentally ready. But it is more. 

God is going to work in some way to keep you from testing or temptation because you asked in faith. 

When we pray this, and testing does come, we know beyond a doubt that the testing is from God. 

Application: Born again believers who know and pray have a new desire they never had before, to run the race set before them. 

You know that the journey behind you has been stained and poisoned by sin.

Praying this daily, you will be asking God to partner with you every day to make ground without the dangers of trial. 

You will know then that if trial does come, it was God’s will and it is absolutely necessary, and your prayer, “deliver us from the evil one,” will be your new confidence. 

You pray these last two petitions and are delivered from fear. And you do not fear to go forward on the most perilous but truly real journey in life.