‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ (Matthew 6:13)

Ever heard the story about the minister who parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city? He was short on time and couldn’t find an open space with a meter, so he put a note under his windscreen wiper that said: ‘I have circled the block ten times. If I don’t park here, I’ll miss my appointment. “Forgive us our trespasses.”‘ When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note: ‘I’ve circled this block for ten years. If I don’t give you a ticket, I’ll lose my job. “Lead us not into temptation.”‘

These few words at the end of the Lord’s Prayer have probably caused more head-scratching than any other. What does Jesus actually mean when he tells us to pray: ‘lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ He is the one who protects us. We have already seen that it is God’s nature to feed us – he provides for us; and to forgive us – he pardons us; but, is it God’s nature to lead us into temptation? Why do we have to ask God to refrain from doing something that we’re pretty sure he would never do in the first place?

Simple reason: we must ask God to do what we cannot do for ourselves, and that is to keep us from temptation. If it wasn’t for the help of the Lord, we would fall for it every time! The Puritan pastor Thomas Watson said that ‘prayer is the best antidote against temptation.’ Seems to ring a bell – Jesus said on one memorable occasion: ‘watch and pray …’

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Sam Gordon has authored a number of books with Ambassador. Originally from Bangor, he and his wife Lois make their home in the heart of England. He is the Bible teacher on TWR-United Kingdom’s daily programme, Truth for Today, heard online at www.twr.org.uk.

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