Bridging Word and Prayer

B. “but deliver us from evil…”

Of some significance is the word used by Jesus translated “deliver” (in both transcripts of the prayer, Luke and Matthew). It is not the more common word used for deliver:

3860 paradi,dwmi paradidomi {par-ad-id'-o-mee} • to give over into (one's) power or use; to deliver to one something to keep, use, take care of, manage; to deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death

Rather Jesus used a word seldom used, and even considered obsolete in some dictionaries. But in context here, it is curious to note it is not “snatch out of harm” and set aside, it is “draw near to one’s self”. Jesus is asking in the prayer not that God just set us out of harm’s way, but that He, God, brings us to Himself, and we respond with drawing nearer.

4506 r`u,omai rhoumai {rhoo'-om-ahee} • to draw to one's self, to rescue, to the deliverer;

It has the image of a parent hugging the child in some dramatic rescue on the nightly news; Images of the return of the prodigal son.

When Jesus taught this prayer, I think, He intended to reinforce the principle of the dire consequences of temptation and deliverance from it. Falling prey to the sin in temptation for a Christ follower is a need for rescue. It is not a deliverance of 3860 paradi,dwmi paradidomi for condemnation, it is 4506 r`u,omai rhoumai rescued and being drawn closer to God. It has within-it some of the elements of repentance, i.e. not just turning from something sinful, but turning to God.

We are surrounded by seductions to live a life apart from God, but God seeks us, and deliverers us, i.e. draws us to Himself. If temptation were repulsive or obvious we would not be beguiled – but it is not. Our mind set must be focused in the struggle on the Spirit’s leadership, the love of God, and the sacrifice of Christ to guard our hearts and life.

NAS There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,

NAS But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

But, we must acknowledge the influence of Satan in our lives to be successful in overcoming.

“Evil one” is not accepted in all circles as a true translation. But the ‘os’ ending suggests or implies to some translators it is a title form of the Greek word thus rendering it a “one”.

4190 ponhro,j poneros {pon-ay-ros'} • translated as: evil 51, wicked 10, wicked one 6, evil things 2, misc 7; 76 • 1) full of labours, annoyances, hardships 1a) pressed and harassed by labours 1b) bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness; causing pain and trouble 2) bad, of a bad nature or condition 2a) in a physical sense: diseased or blind 2b) in an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad

This rendering of “evil” (hardships and toils — not a one) also relates to the understanding of the translation of the Greek word, peirasmos, translated here as “temptation” to be translated as “testing”. The “evil” is the hardships of the sanctified life, and basic challenges of living, testing us in our trust relationship with God.

The pretense in the addition of “one” in some translations is the seeming necessity to believe there is an ulterior responsible party for our bad choices, when we make them. But the emphasis in verbiage is the divine governess of God over the affairs and circumstances of life. In the prayer, the word is about hardships, perils, pains, and wickedness. But in our life, these are the elements of life we want to avoid because they are onerous (difficult), often resulting from our sin choices; – we want the easy.

NKJV I pray not that thou should take them out of the world, but that thou should keep them from the evil. (; ; ; ; )

In the case of this prayer passage, the usage by Jesus is about sanctification, not hardships.

Satan is definitively a deceiver, crafty beyond all scope of our understanding, but desperately wicked is the phrase used to describe our heart

(KJV) “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately (incurably) wicked (or sick): who can know it?”

Only God can know the hearts and the minds of men. And because He knows He sent a redeemer in Christ to deliver us, and save us from ourselves, and the wiles of Satan. Thanks, Praise, and Honor be to God our Father.

is the source of the last phrase frequently added to the public rendition of the model prayer. Oldest manuscripts do not have the phrase “For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen”. Scholars believed that scribes added the phrase to be used as a liturgical addendum in the public forum. (And it makes a really awesome ending to the song.)

Prayer is the way we reach out to really know God and have a loving relationship with Him. Time spent with Him in prayer completes the relationship and with-in the love we will always find in Him, we find reason and motivation to conform to His will and fulfill His desires in our lives. (,) In prayer we learn what God has planned. ().

4335 proseuch, proseuche {pros-yoo-khay’} prayer addressed to God)

The austerity of prayer allows us to see a glimpse of the magnitude of God and begin to perceive the significance of having Him as our Lord; we begin to understand the opportunity that awaits us in our submission to Him as God. () HE IS THE Creator, sustainer, provider, our guide, Ruler King, and He wants to have a conversation with us!

(1783 e;nteuxij enteuxis {ent'-yook-sis} an interview, a coming together, a conference or conversation)

Prayer is the way that we submit everything to the Lord. In prayer, we invite God to come and work in the things that concern us putting those things under His control rather than our own. The open admission of our lesser condition before the Lord is always needed as we approach His throne. This is not only submission, but the very act of humbling ourselves (, ), acknowledging that God can take care of all that concerns us and that we cannot.

(1162 de,hsij deesis {deh'-ay-sis} intimate beseeching, need, indigence, entreating; )

In our Praises, Repentance, Adorations, Intercessions, Supplications, and Exaltations we can reaffirm our relationship and learn to rest in His peace. () () The intent of this tradition is to incorporate God into every moment of the day. () Our strength alone is deficient. Our sin separates us from God (), but our confessions give us strength and confidence of God’s presence in the workings of our life. With our Adorations, Confessions, Thanksgivings, we are Supplied. ()

4336 proseu,comai proseuchomai {pros-yoo'-khom-ahee} make prayer, pray for, to offer prayers, to pray

Prayer is a reason for Christ sacrifice, death and resurrection to make intercession on our behalf and allow us the privilege of fellowship with God. () ()() Our response to Christ must by necessity include regular (unceasing) prayer in our relationship. Our weakness in this area is significant to an unknown (beyond our scope of realization ()) level if we fail in it. () It is a condition imposed throughout the Bible that prayer is the way to seek after God, and He will respond. ()

BRIDGING THE PRINCIPLES OF ‘LIVING IN THE WORD’ AND ‘PRAYING IN FAITH’

A covenant is a pledge or promise between two parties to do something together based on a common agreement. God’s new covenant with us, His people, has within it a primary condition we too frequently overlook. Prayer is fellowshipping with God. Prayer is therefore a primary reason for Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection, to make intercession on our behalf and allow us the privilege of fellowship with God. () ()() Our response to Christ must by necessity include regular (unceasing) prayer in our relationship. Our weakness in this area is significant to an unknown (beyond our scope of realization ()) level if we fail in it. () It is a condition imposed throughout the Bible that prayer is the way to seek after God, and He will respond. ()

Covenants between God and His people had three stages: God revealed His will and made a conditional promise; His people believed God and met the conditions God laid down; as the people believed God they received the blessing. If they did not meet the conditions, believe God, and act on the promise, they did not receive the blessing.

God reveals His will to those who listen, believe, and follow it. When praying in faith one must follow through all three stages. Listening can give us understanding. But understanding is not belief. Belief cannot stand alone – we must act on our understanding to be belief.

Six steps to praying in faith to consider:

Abide in Christ – ;

Abide in the Word – ;

Hear, Examine, Analyze, Remember, Think, -- Apply

Allow the Holy Spirit to Lead – ;

Ask according to His will – ;

Accept God’s will in faith –

Act on the basis of God’s word to you –

AMPLIFIED Bible: And this is the confidence [assurance, boldness] which we have before Him, [we are sure] that, if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and He hears us. 15 And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.

The current Essentials for the Christian topic is concerning prayer. Let’s explore some of the passages of promise, insight and expectant understanding we find in scripture. A relationship or correlation exists between prayer and faith filled expectation and living out our profession.

NAS "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive."

NAS "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.

NAS "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.” "Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? "Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! ()

NAS "And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

NAS "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.

NAS "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.

the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, in accordance with the working of the strength of His might

NAS But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts, is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

One of the first lessons of our Lord in His school of prayer was: Not to be seen of men.

NAS "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you. Enter your inner chamber; be alone with the Father.

When He taught us that the meaning of prayer is personal individual contact with God, He then comes with a second lesson: You have need not only of secret solitary prayer, but also of public united prayer. And He gives us a very special promise for the united prayer of two or three who agree in what they ask. NAS "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst."

As a tree has its root hidden in the ground and its trunk growing up into the sunlight, so prayer needs equally for its full development the hidden secrecy in which the soul meets God alone, and the public fellowship with those who find in the name of Jesus their common meeting-place.

The reason why this must be so is plain. The bond that unites a man to his fellow men is no less real and close than that which unites him to God: he is one with them. Grace renews not alone our relation to God but to man too. We not only learn to say “My Father,” but “Our Father.” Nothing would be more unnatural than that the children of a family should always meet their father separately, but never in the united expression of their desires or their love.

Believers are not only members of one family, but even of one body. Just as each member of the body depends on the other, and the full action of the spirit dwelling in the body depends on the union and co-operation of all, so Christians cannot reach the full blessing God is ready to bestow through His Spirit, but as they seek and receive it in fellowship with each other. It is in the union and fellowship of believers that the Spirit can manifest His full power. [1]

TRANSPANENCY<OPENESS<CONSISTENCY<MALABILITY<HUMBLY<HONESTLY

[1] Heritage of Great Evangelical Teaching : Featuring the Best of Martin Luther, John Wesley, Dwight L. Moody, C.H. Spurgeon and Others. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1996