24) – "Praying With Confidence” Series

LORD TEACH US TO PRAY

24) – “Praying With Confidence”

TEXT: Matthew 6:13

As we continue our study of the Lord’s Prayer…

Today we are not only going to get a glimpse of how

Jesus closes out and concludes His prayer,

But I want us to talk about how you and I…

By following His example - can Pray with Confidence.

Let’s read together now verse number 13:

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.

This is how Christ concludes His Prayer.

RECAP

Last week we really just focused on four words: …deliver us from evil

And what we effectively learnt…

Was that there are two major influences jostling for control in our lives.

There is Good - and then there is what Jesus calls Evil.

“Evil” really just speaks of that which is wrong in God’s eyes. Its sin!

There has only ever been these two influences in the world…

And there has only ever been these two things controlling our behavior.

There is good...and there is evil.

There is right...and there is wrong.

There is that which is Godly...and there is that which is ungodly.

There is the way of Sin – and there is the way of the Spirit.

And what we learnt last week was that,

The Godly influences in our lives are driven by the Spirit…

While the ungodly influences are predominantly driven by our flesh.

One is easily embraced and assimilated into our lives out in the world,

While the other is only learnt and experienced as we cling to, and follow God.

Galatians 5:16-17 summarises this constant struggle we all have going on

Between that which is good and evil and flesh and the spirit really well saying:

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

So the Bible teaches openly of this power struggle,

Of how there are two influences wrestling for control over lives,

Each being fundamentally different from the other…

And therefore, striving to pull us in different directions.

One is of God…and the other is of Satan.

One is of the World and one is of the Word.

One is right and the other is wrong.

One is Good and the Other is Evil!

We even talked last week about the existence of Evil People,

And even of the Evil Deeds they do.

Remember Jesus spoke to some of the religious leaders of His time

And He referred to them as being “Evil”.

And brethren I have to tell you...

The more you seek to follow God and to hold to that which is good,

The more you will begin to see and recognise where evil abounds.

Furthermore, ...the more you seek to share the goodness of Christ with others,

The more the wrongs of this world and the evil actions of others

Will begin to manifest themselves to stand in opposition against you.

This is where the persecution and hardships we face as Christians often comes from

Remember the Bible reveals to us that there is a constant power struggle going on,

There is a pulling between the flesh and the spirit,

A constant wrestling between that which is “Good” and that which is “Evil”.

And of course, it’s in this regard that…

Jesus tells His Disciples to Pray that they would be “delivered from evil”.

The term Deliver in the Greek means to be “saved” or “rescued”.

And the picture here is of one being...

“Drawn close into the arms of another for protection”.

And this is so crucial for us to understand,

Because with this whole power struggle and tug of war going on

Between the good and evil in our lives,

The one thing that is going to have the greatest influence over us

Is going to be the thing we are drawn closest too.

Romans 12:21:Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

And the Scriptures go on to tell us that God is Good – Amen. (Luke 18:19)

So we are to overcome all the evil in our lives...

And all of the evil opposition we face out in the world,

By surrendering to the goodness of our Lord.

You see, the secret to overcoming evil - comes from us drawing closer to God.

It comes when we rest in His arms for protection.

James declares: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

And the closer we are to God…

The less all the negative influences of this world will have sway and conrtol over us.