Key Scripture: Matthew 6:13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Jesus teaches us to close our prayers by petitioning God to protect us from not only Satan’s temptations but also temptations springing from our own sin nature (James 1:14). God is not the One who will ever tempt us to do evil, but He certainly is the One who can deliver us from it! We are constantly surrounded by brokenness and the sins of this world and must learn to live with discernment––with our biblical worldview on at all times. God extends His protection over us when we seek and ask Him in earnest prayer to protect us from temptations that will ultimately destroy us. I am convinced that Jesus included this plea as the final statement made in the Lord’s Prayer so we would not forget to ask for that specific covering from evil each day. Specifically we should ask that we would not fall into a temptation that would weaken us to the point we could not endure—unless God is willing to give us the strength to endure in a way that glorifies Him.

Satan uses temptation to entice us to sin in hopes that we will fall out of grace by doubting, or worse, by rejecting God. Yet, although God Himself does not tempt, God will allow temptations to come into our lives in order to build us up in the faith. James 1:13 says, “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.” God gives us the ability to endure temptations and to stand firm in Jesus’ name when we come boldly before Him in prayer each day.