A Closer Study of the Lord’s Prayer: Part Four

NOTE: This is the fourth and final entry in a series of study articles on the Lord’s Prayer. See also the introduction to the series, as well as Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

by John Kreutzwieser

Lead us not into temptation / But deliver us from evil

After gathering in an upper room in Jerusalem for the Passover meal, Jesus’ last Seder with His disciples, the group walked to the Garden of Gethsemane for a time of prayer before the Passion events. Taking Peter, James, and John away from the larger group, Jesus became very distressed and troubled. He asked the three to remain alert as He moved slightly away from them for a time of intense prayer. However, they fell asleep while He was praying. Coming back to them, Jesus said, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Mark 14:38).

The Greek word pierasmos is often translated as temptation and is the same word Jesus uses in the Lord’s Prayer (“lead us not into temptation”). Pierasmos implies a time of testing. Knowing all that was to come over the next few hours, Jesus encouraged the three to pray that they their faith would not be so tested that they would forsake their God. A time of testing was coming upon them. They would need God’s help to endure this time so that their relationship with God would not be broken by their weakness and doubts.

This what we pray for too in the fourth unit of the Lord’s Prayer. We are vulnerable to unbelief when times of testing come into our lives. So, Jesus encourages us to pray that God will not bring us into too many times of testing, and that when evil tempts us, we may be protected and preserved by Him.

Abraham was brought into a time of testing by God (see Hebrews 11:17-19 and Genesis 22:1-14). Abraham went through the testing but did not enter into unbelief, as God provided the strength and help he needed. We pray today: “Lord, do not bring me into too much testing for I am very weak in my faith because of my sin and doubts.”

While evil may lead us into temptation with the goal of unbelief, God does not (see James 1:12-15). But God tests us to refine faith and strengthen and help our wavering (see James 1:2-4). We pray that such testing from God will not come too frequently. Nor should we seek out such testing, as if to prove our worthiness of God’s gifts; we fail so easily under trials and temptations.

While God tests in order to build faith, evil powers attack us with times of testing to destroy faith.

On the other hand, we may ask that God not bless life with too many things—for we know that with success and possessions, we can easily drift away from God. It is easy to drift into a prayer life that becomes a series of asking for more material things in life—as if our happiness is found in the stuff of the world rather than in God. The attitude of St. Paul to the stuff of life is one that we should strive to imitate (see Philippians 4:11-13 and Hebrews 13:5). Jesus said: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). There is great gain in godliness with contentment (see 1 Timothy 6:6-12).  Lord, do not give me too much in this life, for I know that I will be tempted to drift from You (see Deuteronomy 8:1-20).

While God tests in order to build faith, evil powers attack us with times of testing to destroy faith (see 1 Peter 5:8-9). We pray for God’s help in defeating all enemies that would tempt us to unbelief, for we are weak and cannot survive such attacks on our own (see Luke 4:1-13). We lose heart so easily when things become hard and the way forward seems hopeless.

Do not let me feel hopeless, O Lord, during struggles or a lack of the stuff of life. Do not let my health or family issues cause me to lose heart and drag me into despair, O God. Do not let the news of the day upset me into despondency, my Lord. Do not let evil get the better of me, my God.

We pray in this unit of the Lord’s Prayer that God will provide strength to go through testing and give us a way out (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). Whether that temptation is a testing of faith from God or a temptation by evil powers to forsake God, we pray that God will keep us from too much of this and deliver us whenever it arrives in our lives.

The Bible reminds us that God has the power to answer our pleas and help us in time of need.

For thine in the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Rev. Dr. John Kreutzwieser is pastor emeritus of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

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