This week we continue our series on the Lord’s Prayer, entitled ‘Your Kingdom Come’. Today we look at the 6th request of the Lord’s Prayer: Save us from the time of trial.
When the fullness of the kingdom of God comes we’ll be free from these things that tempt us and weigh us down:
The world will no longer persuade us to compromise our walk with God.
Our bodies will be totally remade, so we will not have the corrupted desires of our hearts to fight against.
The Tempter will be completely defeated, he won’t be allowed to persuade us with false promises and test us with poisonous accusations.
Those 3 battlefronts: the world, the flesh and the devil will be defeated, and we’ll be free to live as God’s people in peace.
Our bodies will be totally remade, so we will not have the corrupted desires of our hearts to fight against.
The Tempter will be completely defeated, he won’t be allowed to persuade us with false promises and test us with poisonous accusations.
Those 3 battlefronts: the world, the flesh and the devil will be defeated, and we’ll be free to live as God’s people in peace.
In the meantime, what help can I seek from God in the face of temptation?
I ask God to increase my faith to trust him. To enliven my conscience to fear him. To soften my heart to love him. And strengthen my will to obey him.
Questions for reflection:
1. In the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26), Jesus urges his disciples to watch and pray, so that they will not fall into temptation.
How do the spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, vigil, giving, simplicity, Bible study, christian fellowship, acts of service, etc) help us prepare for the time of trial?
2. The world will try to shape us in it’s mold, either by violence or by using more subtle pressures.
What are the dangers for Australian Christians today? How are we pressured by our society to compromise our walk with God (ie. fall into temptation).