Page 35 - The Importance of Prayer Student Textbook

blood of Jesus, but we still need daily cleansings by our confession. This is something that we all need to
practice daily for His glory to shine. Once this realization of brokenness because of our sins has set in we
realize that we are in a spiritual war. But during our brokenness we will begin to realize the truth of
Isaiah 61:3, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive
praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted
for his own glory. This will lead us into spiritual warfare as we begin to pray the next section of the
model prayer of our Lord’s.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: (some translations translate it evil one)
Many writers ask how are we to deal with the interpretative problem we encounter when we compare
Matthew 6:13 with James 1:2-3 which says, My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers
temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. Matthew seems to ask us to
pray that all avoidance of temptation be removed from our lives, and James seems to welcome
temptation as a tool that God uses to mature our faith. How are we to pray?

Chrysostom, an early church father said that the solution to this issue is that Jesus is here not speaking
of logic or theology but of a heart’s desire and inclination that causes a believer to want to avoid the
danger and trouble sin creates. 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 rather than having to defeat
temptation. This seems to echo what our Lord says in Matthew 26:41 when He says, Watch and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. You in actuality are
saying God I surrender the leadership of my life over to your control and I want everything I say and do
to please you. You are acknowledging the power of 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.

Yes, as James teaches us, we are to recognize that trials are meant for our growth in grace. However,
the desire to be in any place or state of mind where even the possibility of temptation would occur, we
would want to avoid. The horrifying prospect of having our fellowship with the Father broken becomes
repulsive to us. We are saying, Father I am weak, but you are strong, please keep me from all wrong. We
pray 1 Corinthians 10:12 let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. This petition is a
safeguard against presumption and a false sense of security and self-sufficiency. It’s the hearts cry of
saints of God who recognize that we are made for another world. 1 John 2:15-16 best summarizes the
hearts cry that is found in this passage. We pray that we would not Love the world, neither the things
that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the
world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of
the world.

Next we realize that we have an adversary. Probably the best translation of this passage would be
deliver us from the evil one. Our Lord realized the truth of 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because
your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. One thing that
we can be assured of from this verse is that Satan and his host of fallen angles are on the prowl looking
to destroy anyone they can. The good news is that greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the
world. (1 John 4:4 see also 1 Corinthians 10:13) R. C. Sproul wisely comments on this passage by warning
us that yes, Satan is known as the tempter and he prowls like a lion with his temptations. However, he is
also known as the accuser of the brethren. (Revelation12:9-10) Sproul believes that Satan does
everything to paralyze believers with unresolved guilt. This of course stands in direct contradiction to

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