Luke 11:1-6
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples spoke to him. “Lord,” he said, “teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
Jesus said to them, “When you pray, this is what you should say:
“’Father, may your name be honored.
May your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, As we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.’”
“’Father, may your name be honored. validation - what makes life worth living.
May your kingdom come. motivation – what drives us to keep going.
Give us each day our daily bread. provision – what gives us the stamina to complete the task.
Forgive us our sins, as we also forgive everyone who sins against us. healing – what removes the obstacles that keep us from moving forward.
Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.’” growth – what increases our ability to honor the Father.
We’ve looked at validation, motivation, provision, healing and finally growth.
Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.
Once I understand that the Father makes life worth living and I have the motivation to get up and go advance the Kingdom, and I understand that I have been given everything I need to go and have Kingdom impact, once I understand and enter into the healing that comes from forgiving others and being forgiven by God. The next natural and expected part of relationship with Jesus is growth. I find it very interesting that we’re often surprised when stuff happens to us. Jesus never once promised life would be smooth, or easy, or uncomplicated. As a matter of fact, the call of entering into relationship with Jesus is a challenge. It’s dangerous. If we’re looking to follow after Jesus because we’re looking for safety, comfort and convenience, don’t follow Jesus.
Growth, the normal and expected part of being in relationship with Jesus, requires effort. It requires sweat and exertion of our mental, physical and emotional selves. Growth happens when pressure is applied. In our relationship with Jesus, growth happens when our faith is tested. ‘Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted’ is a reminder that we will be tempted. It’s a part of what it means to be human. There will be times when we find ourselves stretched by temptation. How we respond to temptation shows us how much we’ve grown. How we handle temptation shows us how mature we are in our relationship with Jesus. Jesus himself walked through temptation as part of his preparation for what He was called by the Father to do. And so it will be with us.
I suppose the real learning is to understand that growth is normal and expected. To be in relationship with Jesus is to grow. If there is no growth, there is no relationship. The second part of that learning is to understand that growth is revealed through temptation. When I do not fall into sin when tempted, I can be assured that growth has happened in my life. When I fall to sin when tempted, I can be assured that Jesus will, if I want Him too, show me where I am not growing, and then grow me, and I will, in time, see that growth in my life.
Are we growing? Can we point to areas in our lives and say, “Jesus has grown me there?” Are you in the middle of temptation? Ask Jesus what He’s trying to grow in your life.
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples spoke to him. “Lord,” he said, “teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
Jesus said to them, “When you pray, this is what you should say:
“’Father, may your name be honored.
May your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, As we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.’”
“’Father, may your name be honored. validation - what makes life worth living.
May your kingdom come. motivation – what drives us to keep going.
Give us each day our daily bread. provision – what gives us the stamina to complete the task.
Forgive us our sins, as we also forgive everyone who sins against us. healing – what removes the obstacles that keep us from moving forward.
Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.’” growth – what increases our ability to honor the Father.
We’ve looked at validation, motivation, provision, healing and finally growth.
Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.
Once I understand that the Father makes life worth living and I have the motivation to get up and go advance the Kingdom, and I understand that I have been given everything I need to go and have Kingdom impact, once I understand and enter into the healing that comes from forgiving others and being forgiven by God. The next natural and expected part of relationship with Jesus is growth. I find it very interesting that we’re often surprised when stuff happens to us. Jesus never once promised life would be smooth, or easy, or uncomplicated. As a matter of fact, the call of entering into relationship with Jesus is a challenge. It’s dangerous. If we’re looking to follow after Jesus because we’re looking for safety, comfort and convenience, don’t follow Jesus.
Growth, the normal and expected part of being in relationship with Jesus, requires effort. It requires sweat and exertion of our mental, physical and emotional selves. Growth happens when pressure is applied. In our relationship with Jesus, growth happens when our faith is tested. ‘Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted’ is a reminder that we will be tempted. It’s a part of what it means to be human. There will be times when we find ourselves stretched by temptation. How we respond to temptation shows us how much we’ve grown. How we handle temptation shows us how mature we are in our relationship with Jesus. Jesus himself walked through temptation as part of his preparation for what He was called by the Father to do. And so it will be with us.
I suppose the real learning is to understand that growth is normal and expected. To be in relationship with Jesus is to grow. If there is no growth, there is no relationship. The second part of that learning is to understand that growth is revealed through temptation. When I do not fall into sin when tempted, I can be assured that growth has happened in my life. When I fall to sin when tempted, I can be assured that Jesus will, if I want Him too, show me where I am not growing, and then grow me, and I will, in time, see that growth in my life.
Are we growing? Can we point to areas in our lives and say, “Jesus has grown me there?” Are you in the middle of temptation? Ask Jesus what He’s trying to grow in your life.
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