Watch and Pray

 Keys to overcoming temptation

My Lifegroup recently studied the Lord's Prayer. This particular lesson was so good, I wanted to share it with you.   

     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. 

                Matthew 6:13 

God will not lead us into trouble or anything that will be harmful to us. Now having said that, He will allow us to experience the consequences of our actions.  When we choose to act the way we want to or do things that are contrary to the word of God, we step out from under His covering and expose ourselves and those around us to wickedness.

      Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 

                   James 1:13-15 

God doesn't put things in our path to tempt us,  Temptations come from our own desires - the things we think have value or are important.  Our affections and desires can cause us to respond emotionally before we have a chance to really think about things. This causes us to make poor decisions and leads to a lot of turmoil. The more we give in to our affections, the stronger they become. This is because giving in to them is like feeding them and when we feed something it will continue to grow.  When we give in to our desires instead of obeying God, we are setting ourselves up for trouble. 

Every time we disobey God, we leave a door open for the devil to come in and cause chaos and confusion and strife. These things are not from God and if you have any areas of your life that are full of chaos, confusion, or strife, it would behoove you to look for the door you may have left open.  

God does not cause us to be tempted.  In fact, Jesus tells us exactly how we can prevent temptation from ruling us.  In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him to pray.  He had them sit in one place while He stepped several feet away to pray. Three times He came back to them and found all three asleep.  After the first time He caught them sleeping, He told them what to do. 

      Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 

                    Matthew 26:41 

"Watch and pray" are the nuggets here that reveal how we can avoid temptation. 

 Watch and pray.

When we "watch" over something or someone, we guard them. We pay attention to them. We are careful of them. Likewise, we are to "watch" over our own selves and our families.  We are to be aware of ourselves and how we are responding to the people and circumstance of life.  

In other words, we need to be conscious of what we are doing. Pay attention to our thoughts and the attitudes they create.  Pay attention to what we say and how our words sound. Pay attention to our actions and what they imply. Watching over ourselves is only the first step in avoiding temptation. 

Watch and pray.

In prayer, we acknowledge our need of God.  We can tell Him what is going on and how we perceive it.  We can even share with God what we think should be done in that situation.  In the book of Isaiah (55:8-9) God reminds us that His thoughts are not like our thoughts. His perspective is very different and we need to keep that in mind when we make choices. 

Prayer keeps us connected to God and in touch with His plan.   It keeps us mindful of His constant presence with us and allows us to make better choices. Prayer is an opportunity to seek and find truth, correction, guidance, and refreshment. 

Jesus is our example in everything and in the garden as He prayed and the three disciples slept, He demonstrated exactly how to acknowledge God's greatness and supremacy in prayer.  After asking for the cup of suffering He was about to endure to be removed, Jesus said (Matt 26:29)

           "Not My will but Yours be done."

Above all, prayer is a demonstration of our submission to God.  Seeking His will instead of our own allows us to tap into the hidden strengths He has placed in us.  Allowing God to have His way in us and all the circumstances and issues of our life opens the door for us to access all the resources of heaven to get what we need to accomplish what is before us.  

Prayer opens the door to our life to God instead of the devil and it allows Him the opportunity to provide what we need to overcome the temptation. 

       No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 

                    I Corinthians 10:13

Jesus says that watching and praying go together.  Both require purposeful intent and steady focus. They help us keep our focus on God first instead of ourselves. 

Watch and pray.

Additional scripture:  Psalm 34:15-19

Questions:

What temptations are you dealing with?

What areas of your life are you struggling with?

Have you sought God's input?

Have you surrendered to Him?

Have you demanded to have things done your way?

Let me know if you need prayer. May the glory of God shine through you and His face shine upone you. 

Heidirn