The Lord’s Prayer has taken on a whole new meaning for me these days.
The Lord’s Prayer has become incredibly meaningful for me as I tackle each new hurdle and try to manage complexities that I cannot plan for each day. Never, in a million years, did I think about ‘give us our daily bread’ in the context I currently live. “Give me my daily bread" now means developing daily online content and social media presence while managing the administrative and ministry needs of the church with countless daily Zoom meetings, phone calls, texts and emails, staff meetings, outreach and searching for new ways to make ministry relevant to a multigenerational, multilingual, multifaceted church and non-church audience.
This opens me to the next phrase of the Lord’s Prayer: lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:13)
Tim Keller defines entering into temptation as “entertaining and considering giving into sin.” Temptation often occurs during times of worry, stress or anxiety. We might be tempted to despair or rage or respond inappropriately. There is always a deeper desire—think of it as an undercurrent—beneath the surface. If we discover the deeper desire—perhaps something like our need for validation, control, love, excitement or rest—we can treat the source not the symptoms and not yield to the temptation. Sounds easy…but oh, so hard to do.
Praying—practicing the presence of God—and asking God to ‘deliver me from the evil one’ includes being delivered from the evil one inside and outside me. The Accuser’s voice can be super loud inside my mind. The Accuser’s voice will tear me up and rip me apart in an instant. I need to be reminded…minute by minute…that the Accuser’s voice is NOT the Lord’s voice. And when I realize that my own sinful precondition to please people and try to find validation gets in the way of Jesus’ presence and voice—I get into trouble. I don’t sleep, I don’t eat well and I am stirred up worrying about scenarios that may never happen and I’ve wasted precious time that Jesus can use for building me up so I can reach out to his people.
'Deliver us from evil and the evil one' is also a request for spiritual and physical protection. Praise God for how he has protected you in the past—even up to this moment—even for the ways in which you cannot see and are unaware. Receive his promise fully that He has promised to protect you eternally. Ask for help—call someone you trust and share your situation. Use scripture when necessary to root out old sinful habits. Be specific. Be faithful. Be patient. Deliverance may not come at once—but believe that it will come in God’s time.
Personal Prayer Time
1. Consider the sins you struggle with—ask the Lord for the grace and strength to keep your mind focused on him.
2. What might be fueling the undercurrent of your temptation?
3. Pray—practice the presence of God. Offer your temptation to the LORD as an offering. You could say, “Lord, today I am tempted to sin. (Name the specific thing: I am tempted to satiate my anxiety with food, alcohol, binge watching inappropriate content or doing harm to myself or others.) I confess my sin and my propensity to sin. Deliver me from evil and the evil one. Restore my soul with your Holy Spirit and give me the power to overcome this temptation. I claim the victory in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen.
You can overcome…through the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit! Amen!
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
Pastor Jen