Prayer- Lead Us Away From Temptation & Evil

Temptation reminds me of stress. A little bit of both can have ancillary benefits- like helping us to refocus. Too much of either can crush us, and both temptation and stress come from multiple directions. There's the external temptation that comes at us from "out there". But there's also an internal stream as well. As Jesus teaches us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil", He offers us some help in dealing with both sources temptation.

"OUT THERE"
The other day our daughter asked what a furnace is. My wife explained that our furnace heats our house in the winter. Clear dissatisfied with that answer, my daughter explained that she wanted to know what the furnace was in the story about Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego. (Actually she referenced the Veggie Tales version, but isn't that the same thing?). My wife replied that that was a story. Out of the daughter's hearing, I added that it was a true story. Then my wife confessed, "I'm having a hard time finding stories in the Bible I can tell her at 4." Why? Because so many stories deal with pain, disobedience, evil and suffering. We do live in a fallen world, and it's no wonder that Jesus would encourage us to pray about avoiding as much of this darkness as we can.

So where does temptation come from? Not from God. Why would God want us to move away from Him? Instead, God is on our side, monitoring the seduction of our souls to make sure that we won't be overwhelmed. Our external allurements come from another source. The enemy of God works to separate us from Him. (In fact, the "evil" in Jesus' prayer can also be translated "the evil one".) Check out what 1 Peter 5:7-11 has to say. We don't have to be afraid of the tempter and all he throws our way. We do have God on our side after all! Instead, we should be clear minded, alert and firm in our faith. Maybe praying regularly about temptation would help us to get there.

"IN HERE"
This week I read a study about one of the germiest places we're likely to encounter- not the public toilet, or the greasy restaurant, or the hospital ER- but the kitchen sink. After just one day the sponges in our sink can foster e. coli or staph bacteria. We worry about sanitation "out there", but face a greater danger "in here". Works the same with temptation, doesn't it? Yes, I need to worry about the traps that are being thrown my way. But I also need to pay attention to the trouble I'll seek out on my own.

And perhaps this little prayer of Jesus can help me do just that. When I think about the internal temptations I face I'm reminded of Proverbs 22:3:

"Sensible people foresee trouble and hide from it, but gullible people go ahead and suffer the consequence."

How much grief could I save myself (and others) if I asked God to give me self awareness? Do I recognize which temptations I naturally run towards? What triggers them? What they are really about? If so, then I'd be in a better position to see trouble coming- even from within. And what if I prayed that God would give me shelter from my internal struggles? Maybe I'd get wisdom about how to put firewalls between myself and that which seeks to move me away from God. I could also ask God to send me some folks who I could be honest with and accountable to, and I wouldn't have to hide on my own.

REFLECT:
Q: How often do you pray to ask God for forgiveness? How about help in avoiding temptation? Does the ration between the two say anything to you?

Q: Do you think much about the devil or spiritual evil? Do you believe they exist? How should Christians feel about/respond to them? (Check 1 Peter 5:7-11 for insight.)

Q: Does most of your temptation come form external or internal sources?

Q: How self aware are you when it comes to your struggles? Can you see them coming? Identify the expressions? Triggers? Root issues?

Q: Have you found any ways to hide from temptation? What has helped or worked for you before?