“Lead us not into temptation” 

Matthew 6:13

Michael J. Wilkins, Professor at Talbot Seminary here in LA, explains the meaning of this phrase:

“The meaning here most likely carries the sense,

‘Allow us to be spared from difficult circumstances that would tempt us to sin.’”

God knows we are most tempted to sin when we are:

• Tired
• Hungry
• Stressed out
• Fearful
• Angry
• Threatened
• Intoxicated
• Lonely
• Burned out
• Ashamed
• Guilt ridden
• Out of fellowship

This part of the prayer is a daily plea for God to protect us and lead us nearer to him.

Often we experience our worst self

when we drift from God.

This is why daily prayer and weekly church is so good for us because we are placing ourselves in his presence. 

So as the Apostle Paul says in Romans 6:13 

“Do not present your members [body and soul] to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members [body and soul] to God as instruments for righteousness.”

In other words, we battle

temptation through communion

with Jesus, not through

human will and grit.

We are so prone to wander that we have to ask him to not let us go “over there” or “back there” where sin is or “inside us” where sin is.

Instead, we look up and ask him to keep us from temptation all together.

One temptation that Jesus was probably thinking of when he taught this prayer was the temptation to hold on to bitterness.

The previous verse contains the only part of the prayer where we “do” anything and it is to forgive:

“Forgive us our debts AS we forgive our debtors.”

Also in the next verse after the prayer Jesus says;

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

We will be tempted to be bitter with God, with ourself, with our spouse, with our boss, coworkers, church members, authorities, friends, and family. We might be bitter about our lot in life or shattered dreams or circumstances. People are often bitter about failed or flawed expectations.

“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled”

Hebrews 12:15.

If we go inside ourselves to fight this temptation we will find that there is no hope there.

We might even find more to be bitter about. We must go to God to fight temptation.

Our will is not strong enough to deliver us from our pain and anger.

We NEED the Holy Spirit.

We need to cry out: “Father, don’t let me go into temptation! Deliver me from evil!”

“Call upon me in the day of trouble; [everyday] I will deliver you, and you will honor me”

Psalm 50:15

What is tempting you?

What do you find yourself powerless against?

What is grieving you?

Pray this: “Lead us not into temptation.”

Grace and peace,

Pastor Harvey