In preparing for a trip to Haiti, I have been thinking about the theme of “Crime and Punishment.” \u00a0More specifically, this morning I was thinking about what is often a precursor to the crime: temptation. \u00a0The particular bit of scripture I was pondering was in the prayer Jesus taught us to pray. \u00a0“Lead us not into temptation,” he said. \u00a0 I have often wondered why we would need to ask God not to lead us into temptation. \u00a0Why would God ever want me to be tempted? \u00a0This morning, I think I got an answer. \u00a0Perhaps this is something obvious to others. \u00a0I’m just now learning it. \u00a0I could be wrong. \u00a0If you read on, maybe you’ll be tempted to tell me so. \u00a0\ud83d\ude09 \u00a0<\/p>\n
In praying “lead us not into temptation,” we are admitting our dependence on God to help keep us from sin, and giving Him permission to do so. \u00a0That is, we are admitting our tendency to sin and being preemptive,\u00a0battling sin in the best way possible by asking God to keep us from the things that would tempt us. \u00a0If we will not seek God’s help, He may lead us to the place where our own lust, pride, etc. tempts us to sin, and hopefully, we realize how much we need Him.\u00a0Sometimes the test \/ temptation is necessary. \u00a0Perhaps the surest sign that it is, is when we don’t feel the need to seek help avoiding it.<\/p>\n
This life is about choices. \u00a0Choose God – choose good – or choose evil. \u00a0When we pray “lead us not into temptation,” we have already chosen good. \u00a0If we don’t pray the prayer ( and maybe even sometimes when we do ) God will lead us to the place of trial \/ temptation where we must choose whom we serve. \u00a0That’s where the battle really heats up . . . and where we most desperately need deliverance\u00a0from evil. \u00a0But that’s another topic. \u00a0In the mean time, I pray that God our Heavenly Father will not even lead me to the place of temptation. \u00a0I admit I am weak. \u00a0I don’t even want to go there.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00a0In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.\u00a0Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.\u00a0Give us this day our daily bread.<\/em> In preparing for a trip to Haiti, I have been thinking about the theme of “Crime and Punishment.” \u00a0More specifically, this morning I was thinking about what is often a precursor to the crime: temptation. \u00a0The particular bit of scripture I was pondering was in the prayer Jesus taught us to pray. \u00a0“Lead us not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-consider"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/markspruill.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/markspruill.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/markspruill.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markspruill.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markspruill.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1797"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/markspruill.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1797\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1800,"href":"https:\/\/markspruill.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1797\/revisions\/1800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/markspruill.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markspruill.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markspruill.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.\u00a0And 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.<\/em>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0– Matthew 6:9-13<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"