This is one of the most important prayers in the Bible. It is a part of the model prayer, which means it is very important that the child of God know its meaning.
1. God does not tempt. James 1:13, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man." Oh, there is a sense in which the word "tempt" means "to test," and to this extent, God does tempt or test. Genesis 22:1, "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am."
2. Satan tempts. Matthew 4:1-3, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Mark 1:13, "And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him."
3. God delivers us on occasion to Satan for tempting and even destruction. I Corinthians 5:5, "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
4. God limits Satan's ability to tempt us. I Corinthians 10:13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
5. God can keep us from temptation. Revelation 3:10, "Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
6. Watching and praying keeps us from temptation. Matthew 26:41, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." There is a difference between watching and praying. Watching is an extension of praying. It deals here with the night watches. A person can pray at any time. When he watches and prays, he is praying in the nighttime. Matthew 6:9-13, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."
7. God tells us what we are to pray. James 1:14,15, "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Notice the order here. First, lust; second, temptation; third, strength to say, "No." Hence, this prayer keeps us two steps from sin. It gives us extra safety. If we can keep from lusting, we can keep from temptation. If we can keep from temptation, we can keep from sin. When we think of the word "lust" we always think of sensuality and sex sins. However, the word "lust" simply means "a desire." If we can keep from wanting what we should not want, and if we have our desires curbed, then we can keep ourselves from temptation, and as we keep ourselves from temptation, we keep ourselves from sin!
Now notice the progression—desire (lust), then temptation, then sin, then death. Watching and praying prevents desire or the lust. Preventing lust prevents temptation. Preventing temptation prevents sin. Preventing sin prevents death. Death comes because of sin. Sin comes because of temptation. Temptation comes because of lust. Lust comes because we do not watch and pray. This is why the Saviour said, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation."
