May 2
“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)
Continuing our discussion of the importance of prayer in overcoming temptation, the verse quoted above illustrates the daily, regular, diligent type of praying I discussed in early January. Jesus said, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13) I believe that every morning every Christian should pray to be delivered from temptation that day, themselves and their loved ones and friends, at least.
For many years as a Christian, I did not do this. I did not fully realize the need to be doing this. Who knows how many sins I unnecessarily committed by not fully appreciating the need for this. Now, I have known about this verse in the Lord’s prayer for many years, but I did not practice it. I did not pray it. I suppose I thought that the Lord’s prayer was kind of simple and unnecessary for mature Christians like myself, or whatever proud, presumptuous things I thought.
But Jesus’ teaching on this illustrates the importance of this kind of praying for deliverance. It illustrates the fact that escaping from Satan’s temptations is not entirely in our hands. I have come to think that if God allows it, and He does at times, Satan can tempt us and sift us and spin us around to make us do his bidding. We are powerless to resist him if God is not in us helping us resist. We need to remember this. Peter was very determined and confident about his abilities to stand by the Lord through thick and thin, but when it was time for his testing, he fell greatly and wept bitterly.
Jesus gives us an important glimpse into the heavenly battle going on when He says that Satan demanded to sift him (Peter) like wheat (Luke 22:31-32). And that Satan did do to Peter. Note that Jesus did not pray to the Father to not let Peter be sifted like wheat but rather that Peter’s faith would not fail and that he, “once you have turned again,” would strengthen his brothers. And Jesus’ prayer was answered exactly in that way.
Who is Satan stalking? Who is Satan seeking to devour today? (1 Peter 5:8) A loved one? A friend? A spouse? A child? A brother or sister in Christ? You? Paul says in the verse quoted above to be alert in prayer, with perseverance. Do you persevere in prayer for others? If your love and concern for others was measured by the time you spend praying for them, how much love and concern do you actually have for them? Do you understand how important prayer is for them? Do you think of it as much more important than any conversation or help or advice or encouragement or well-wishing you may do for them. Please don’t misunderstand, I am not saying that we should not do those kinds of things. We ought to do those things and more, as often as we can. But do we think those things we do are more important or effective than asking the Almighty God to protect them and keep them from evil and bless them?
I think that not praying for ourselves and our loved ones regularly demonstrates a lack of faith, a lack of wisdom, a pride and self-reliance, and a misunderstanding of what we and our loved ones really need. We desperately need God working in us and for us each and every day, to build us up in the faith and deliver us from evil.
Let’s put first things first and develop the habit of praying for deliverance from evil for ourselves and our loved ones each and every day.