How does praying for deliverance from evil change how we live our lives? Pastor Al Abdulla preaches from Matthew 6:13 and Luke 22:31-34, 39-46 on how delighting in Jesus and depending upon Him in prayer empowers us to fight daily temptation.
Discussion Questions
- According to Scripture, what are the different sources of temptation, and how do they differ?
- In temptation, we are persuaded to believe an alternative storyline that ignores God’s goodness and authority. When you’re tempted, what are the lies that you’re enticed to believe?
- With the temptations you face, how is God forming your character?
- How does the gospel of Jesus Christ encourage and empower you in your fight against temptation and evil?
How Do We Bring Our Temptations to God?
Pastor Adam Smith shares the challenges we face in temptation and the great help we have in Jesus Christ.
“Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.”
St. John Chrysostom
Jessie’s Story
Jessie shares how the Lord delivered her from a period of rebellious living and gave her a renewed hope.
Prayer Points
Tim Keller defines entering into temptation as “to entertain and consider the prospect of giving in to sin.” Ask God to remind you of areas where you are prone to give into temptation. Thankfully, 1 John 1:9 contains the promise that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” After confessing sin, we can rejoice in the reality that Jesus has delivered us from sin.
Consider particular sins you find yourself struggling with. Ask the Lord for the grace and strength to keep your eyes firmly fixed on Him. Think of the nature of what you feel tempted by. What is the deeper desire beneath the temptation? Perhaps it’s a desire for love, validation, excitement, or rest. Pray for eyes to see how God has provided for those needs in Christ Jesus and in the community of the church.
Temptation can occur in times of prosperity as well as in pain. In prosperity, we may be tempted to think that we do not need God. In suffering, we may be tempted to despair or rage at God. Pray for grace and endurance to continue to trust in God regardless of your circumstances.
Praying “deliver us from evil” is a prayer for deliverance from the evil within us as well as evil outside us. Ask God to continue to purify you with His love and grace.
Praying “deliver us from evil” is also a request for spiritual and physical protection. Thank God for how He has protected you in the past, for how He is currently protecting you (even in ways you cannot see), and for the promise that He will protect you eternally.
Pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ in your immediate community as well as across the globe, some of whom are experiencing violent persecution in addition to temptation. Ask for God’s protection and guidance, and that He would use times of suffering for His glory and our good, as He has promised.