For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 38-39)
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever, Amen.
When we pray these words that Jesus taught us, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” we are praying for God to guard and protect us from the things of this world that could harm us or change us. But we are not only praying for ourselves. We are fervently praying that God would help each of us, and all of those people around us, to be safe from the things that would test our faith.
Because of a sad and tragic event in the life of a friend last week, I have experienced what it means to have my faith tested, to ask God questions like – how, in a world that you created, can you allow tragedy? Where are you in tragedy? And how will you protect me from tragedy happening in my life?
Maybe these are not rational questions to ask God, who after all, does not cause bad things to happen, and in fact, experienced the suffering that we experience in this world when he became flesh and lived with us for a time. But these are the thoughts that have been going through my mind in the last week.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
We are all children of God, created in God’s image, given the freedom to make whatever choices we are faced with in our lives. Part of our life-long education, and especially our Christian education, is teaching us about these choices, helping us to understand the difference between right and wrong (Martin Luther calls that LAW) and knowing that, being faced with all of the choices that we will encounter in our lives, sometimes we will make wrong choices in spite of our best intentions.
Sometimes we will succeed and sometimes we will fail. Because we live lives that are connected to other people in so many and various way, whatever we do has an impact of others – and whatever others do has an impact on us. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are not just praying for ourselves. “We pray for each other, not wanting anyone to be tempted into the arms of evil or fall victims to those who have.” (French p 103)
But we are imperfect people living in an imperfect world, and so sometimes, no matter how fervently and earnestly and honestly we pray for deliverance from evil, evil may enter our lives. What I hope and pray for you and for me is that in the circumstances of sadness or hardship or illness or tragedy in my life and your life, your relationship and your communication with God remains fervent and earnest and honest.
We live in a time between the suffering of Jesus who took away our sins, and the perfection that he will one day bring into the world and into our lives. We live in a world where we have to trust in the power and in the love of God, but also in a world where evil exists.
And so, “when we pray to be saved from the time of trial, we pray that our faith would not be tested, but if it is, we pray that God would be with us throughout and beyond the trial.” (French p 113)
Finally, we come to the end of our petitions to God with the words, deliver us from evil.
“There is, in this petition, a hint of longing, the longing that things will finally come out right for the world God loves. There is a yearning for God to put things right, to replace human sorrow with joy, human tears with laughter, human fear with peace.” (French p 118)
In the meantime, we hope and we trust, and we continue to pray.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. (Romans 7:15)
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…
This petition of the Lord’s Prayer has always been important to my prayer life. It is in these words, spoken and taught to us by Jesus, we acknowledge not only that we are weak and sinful, but that in our imperfect human state, drawn to temptation, we can and do turn to God to help us. I am so grateful that Jesus just laid it out there – lead us not into temptation – naturally assuming that this is the direction we head, asking God to deliver us from the very thing we hate, but cannot help ourselves.
Martin Luther teaches us, in the Small Catechism, that it is not God, but the devil who is responsible for the evil in the world, and who leads us, and even tried to lead Jesus, into temptation.
“It is true that God tempts no one, but we ask in this prayer that God would preserve and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice, and that, although we may be attacked by them, we may finally prevail to gain the victory.” (From Martin Luther’s Small Catechism).
In my own prayers, and especially in prayers for my children and their friends, I pray that God gives us the strength to prevail over the many dangerous temptations that we face in our lives, and live in the light of Christ that God so graciously shines on us.
Prayer for today
Protecting God, guide our paths and keep us safe. Lead us not into temptation. Amen.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…
This petition of the Lord’s Prayer has always been important to my prayer life. It is in these words, spoken and taught to us by Jesus, we acknowledge not only that we are weak and sinful, but that in our imperfect human state, drawn to temptation, we can and do turn to God to help us. I am so grateful that Jesus just laid it out there – lead us not into temptation – naturally assuming that this is the direction we head, asking God to deliver us from the very thing we hate, but cannot help ourselves.
Martin Luther teaches us, in the Small Catechism, that it is not God, but the devil who is responsible for the evil in the world, and who leads us, and even tried to lead Jesus, into temptation.
“It is true that God tempts no one, but we ask in this prayer that God would preserve and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice, and that, although we may be attacked by them, we may finally prevail to gain the victory.” (From Martin Luther’s Small Catechism).
In my own prayers, and especially in prayers for my children and their friends, I pray that God gives us the strength to prevail over the many dangerous temptations that we face in our lives, and live in the light of Christ that God so graciously shines on us.
Prayer for today
Protecting God, guide our paths and keep us safe. Lead us not into temptation. Amen.
Monday, March 30, 2009
My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Galatians 6:1
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12
I’ve had a lot of practice forgiving since I have become the parent of teenagers. My 18 year old son and 16 year old daughter are wonderful people, but I have to remind myself of that at one a.m. on Saturday night when I should be sleeping, getting my rest for church on Sunday morning, but instead I’m pacing the floor and wondering where they could be – late again.
It’s a small but real example of my parenting challenges and frustrations. You can probably think of your own, or maybe you can remember the nights when you caused your own parents to worry when you were growing up.
My children don’t always apologize right away when they have done something that I think is irresponsible or disrespectful. Sometimes, they get mad at me, thinking that I am mean or too strict or I don’t understand them. We might argue and fight – but so far, we have always made up, come to some sort of understanding, and eventually apologized to each other, and forgiven each other for any transgressions, any disrespect shown or angry words spoken.
I am thankful that, with the example of God’s love in Jesus, we learn, and we live in an environment of unconditional love, first from God, and then in our family. Without that divine love in our lives, how could we ever do it?
Prayer for today
God, thank you for your spirit of gentleness on our lives that helps us to forgive each other as you have forgiven us. Amen
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12
I’ve had a lot of practice forgiving since I have become the parent of teenagers. My 18 year old son and 16 year old daughter are wonderful people, but I have to remind myself of that at one a.m. on Saturday night when I should be sleeping, getting my rest for church on Sunday morning, but instead I’m pacing the floor and wondering where they could be – late again.
It’s a small but real example of my parenting challenges and frustrations. You can probably think of your own, or maybe you can remember the nights when you caused your own parents to worry when you were growing up.
My children don’t always apologize right away when they have done something that I think is irresponsible or disrespectful. Sometimes, they get mad at me, thinking that I am mean or too strict or I don’t understand them. We might argue and fight – but so far, we have always made up, come to some sort of understanding, and eventually apologized to each other, and forgiven each other for any transgressions, any disrespect shown or angry words spoken.
I am thankful that, with the example of God’s love in Jesus, we learn, and we live in an environment of unconditional love, first from God, and then in our family. Without that divine love in our lives, how could we ever do it?
Prayer for today
God, thank you for your spirit of gentleness on our lives that helps us to forgive each other as you have forgiven us. Amen
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4: 31-32
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. Luke 11:4
It seems like we’re always talking about how hard it is to forgive. Actually, the older I get, the harder I find it not to forgive. Forgiveness is what God asks, and requires us to do, and as it turns out, God only asks us to do what is best for us.
Have you ever been so angry at a person that you imagined that you never wanted to see or speak to them again? I certainly have. I fret and I stew. But, I’ve gotten to the point in my life, and maybe in my faith, to take Paul’s words to the Ephesians seriously. Anger and grudges don’t do anyone any good. In fact, they can kill you.
An angry heart is dangerous to both body and soul. Along with recognizing what makes you angry, taking a deep breath and talking about the problem, try a healthy dose of forgiveness. It might save a life. When God does it, it saves ours.
Prayer for today
God, teach us to love each other as you love us. Help us to forgive each other as you forgive us. Amen.
And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. Luke 11:4
It seems like we’re always talking about how hard it is to forgive. Actually, the older I get, the harder I find it not to forgive. Forgiveness is what God asks, and requires us to do, and as it turns out, God only asks us to do what is best for us.
Have you ever been so angry at a person that you imagined that you never wanted to see or speak to them again? I certainly have. I fret and I stew. But, I’ve gotten to the point in my life, and maybe in my faith, to take Paul’s words to the Ephesians seriously. Anger and grudges don’t do anyone any good. In fact, they can kill you.
An angry heart is dangerous to both body and soul. Along with recognizing what makes you angry, taking a deep breath and talking about the problem, try a healthy dose of forgiveness. It might save a life. When God does it, it saves ours.
Prayer for today
God, teach us to love each other as you love us. Help us to forgive each other as you forgive us. Amen.
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