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?

Prayer- Forgive Us, Help Us Forgive Others

I hate tangles. I know hate is a strong word, but I'm using it. Tangles complicate my life, raise my stress level and take valuable time (and sometimes money) to fix. Case in point: Christmas lights. Every year we take the time to wrap them up neatly and somehow in the 11 months they sit in storage they congeal into one huge mass of a mess. I think this passive aggressive behavior is a sign that they don't like being ignored, but that's another conversation.

Now what was I saying? Oh yes, tangles are a hassle and a given. Whether it's Christmas lights, fishing line, hair, the dog leash, shoe laces, a business deal, a relationship, or our souls- snags will find us. Jesus knows this of course, and offers us this simple prayer to help us do some detangling:

"Forgive us as we forgive others"

DIVINE TANGLES
The Scriptures are clear that no person is perfect. All of us have failed to live up to our own good intentions, much less the image of God in us. We're all rebels and outlaws, and not the cool kind in the movies that ladies seem to dig. But do we really need the Bible to tell us this? An honest look into each of our hearts reveals snags and twists in our connection with God. So how do we fix it? We don't. Tangles of the soul are beyond our clumsy fingers. They require the spiritual dexterity and sacrificial love of Jesus. Keep in mind this gift of mercy isn't simply to offset our guilt and send us on our way, or to clean our slate once and burden us with the pursuit of moral perfection. God invites us to love and live with Him- tangles and all.

CROSSED LINES
Some tangles happen as different lines intersect with and wrap around each other. But when it comes to detangling our souls, God does some intentional braiding. Most of the time I want to be forgiven and be done with it. But Jesus doesn't end his prayer there. God seems bent on the idea that we give others the freedom that He has granted us. In fact, this is the only part of the prayer that Jesus bothers to footnote. Wonder why? Maybe because we'd rather not connect our ability to be forgiven with our ability to forgive? But in God's mind, this is a given- if we want to love Him, we've got to learn to love each other.

HUMAN TANGLES
Our relationships with each other get kinked and snagged in any number of ways: miscommunication, misunderstanding, unmet expectations, selfish actions, betrayal, etc. And when things get messy, many of us would rather ignore it or cut and run. Jesus' words are very clear, but not very easy. Forgiving others is hard, especially when they don't cooperate. How can we pardon someone who doesn't seek it or won't own up to their part of the problem? We start by focusing on our end, on the things that we can control. Does setting others free mean that we act like the wrongs never happened? Ignore our emotions? Jump back into unstable, hurtful situations? I don't think so. Instead we, as William Young put it, forgiving means we "take our hands off of the other person's throat". We release our claims of vengeance and resentment in the eyes of God.

How can we possibly do that when we've been deeply hurt? I'm not sure we can on our own. And this is why Jesus has us praying about this. What God asks us to do, He will help us to do. We ask for the courage to let the mercy of God flow through us to another.

DETANGLING
Q: Where does your relationship with God feel snagged or knotted up right now? Are these new struggles, or the same things you've dealt with for sometime now?

Q: Look back at 1 John 1:9. Read the verse a few times. What words stand out to you? Why?

Q: What do you think "confessing our sins" entails? What look do you imagine on the face of God when you confess and ask for mercy?

Q: Which is easier for you: to ask God for forgiveness, to forgive others, or to forgive yourself? Which is most difficult? Why?

Q: Which is more grevious in your mind: the ways you've wronged God, or the ways others have wrong you? Is this just a mental concept, or do you feel the weight of each? Check out this story Jesus told. What does it say to you about the size and scope of our divine and human tangles?

Q: Who is their in your life (past or present) that you feel tangled up about? What can you do about it this week?

Prayer- Give Us Our Daily Bread

"This is how you should pray: Our Father in Heaven....Give us this day our daily bread."


How do you feel about that line?

Comforted that the God of all people would take time to listen to our needs?

Humbled to have to ask for help?

Challenged at the thought of separating your "wants" and "needs"?

Something else?

What does "daily bread" look like for you right now?

How could we join you in praying for the things you really need?

Hit the comments button and tell us what's on your mind.

Prayer- Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done

Ever dream about "the perfect job"? Not the one that will make you rich or famous. I'm talking about the gig that is the polar opposite of what you do everyday. As someone who sits at a computer and does a lot of work with his head and his mouth- I dream about a job that involves physical labor and no take home stress. Like cutting grass or working construction. Then a few weeks ago I did demolition for 3 hours in a space our church is renovating. I was sore for 5 days. My perspective of a life of manual labor changed dramatically. I had this romanticized vision of working with my hands, but learned that it can also be really tough.

Jesus tells us to pray "Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done, On Earth As In Heaven". We probably have some pictures in our heads about what these words and concepts mean. But do our perspectives about God's Kingdom and God's Will match His? My guess is no. In fact, our ideas probably differ in a bunch of ways from what God has in mind. Let me throw out a few to get you thinking:

SEPARATE VS. SYNONYMOUS
We read Jesus' instructions and instantly add two distinct items to our prayer list. But what if God's Kingdom coming and God's Will being done are one and the same? If we define "God's Kingdom coming" as God setting things right again and reconciling all Creation to Himself, then isn't that also His ultimate, over-arching Will? Jesus came to usher in the Kingdom of Heaven. All time and history are moving towards seeing God's Kingdom fully and finally re-established. So, why does this really matter? Those of use who follow Jesus ARE a Kingdom to God. Are we asking God to use us to help establish His Kingdom? Or praying that whatever needs to happen in us will happen so that we and others can get in on the Kingdom?

EASY VS. GOOD
My idea of God's will for my life can be summed up this way: God wants me to be happy, healthy and never struggle. Yes, I know this isn't what the Bible says- but it is what I really want. Not just for myself, but for my kids. The other day I was with my daughter in Wal-Mart. She wanted to buy a toy and my wife and I told her she'd have to spend her own money. She had about 7 bucks. Time and again she picked out toys that were too expensive. After a while it hurt my heart to tell her, "Honey, you don't have enough money." As her dad I wanted her to have what she wanted. The thought of her "going without" made me want to step in and fix it. Then I wondered, "What is it I want to do for my daughter?" Do I want her life to be easy? If so, I need to shelter her and not allow her to encounter any difficulty. Do I want her to become a mature, well-adjusted, responsible adult? If that's my goal then I might allow her to struggle and learn life's lessons. What is God's ultimate goal for us? If it is to be reconciled to Him, be spiritually healthy and whole, then He may allow us to experience things that aren't always easy- but will eventually lead us towards goodness. Not sure? Search for the phrases "God's of The Lord's Will" in the New Testament. You'll find that about 1/2 the verses deal with God's will and suffering. Ouch.

NOW VS. LATER
I believe that in our best (read non-selfish) moments we have much the same vision as God. Evil gets vanquished, suffering and oppression stop, people are healed (God's Kingdom). The difference in what we want and what God wants (His Will) is simply a matter of timing. We want things to be made right here and now. Although God is working on this now, it won't fully happen until later.

SELECTIVE VS. COMPLETE
Do we ask for God's will to be done every time we pray? Probably not. Why? Because we'd like to maintain some ownership of our lives as well. Jesus tells us to pray that God's Will would be done "on earth as it is in heaven". How do you think God's Will is done in heaven? Fully? Completely? Instantly? Without exception? Sounds right to me. Is that what we have in mind when we pray? Are we ready to go there?

REFLECT:
Q: When was the last time you prayed (either directly or indirectly) for God's Will to be done or made known? How about the last time you prayed for God's Kingdom to come? Do you pray more for one of these things than the other? If so, why?

Q: Do you believe that "God's Will" is that life would always be easy? How do you feel about the idea that God's Will might involve suffering? Does it make a difference for you if God makes something tough happen or just allows it to happen to us?

Q: If Jesus is our ultimate example, what does His life (and death) tell us about God's Kingdom and His Will?

Q: How do you think God's will gets done in heaven? How would our lives and prayers look differently if we started praying and wanting this?