The Lord's Prayer - Ep 16

2026.08.6 Lord's Prayer Thursday

Today, and every Thursday during this summer, we will be doing a modified Lectio Divina exercise. Lectio Divina, which means sacred reading, is an ancient spiritual practice that trains us to hear God's voice through scripture. This summer, we soak in the Lord's Prayer, and today we set our thoughts on lead us not into temptation.

We will read the Lord's Prayer twice, and we'll provide an insight into the meaning of the text before each reading. We will give space after each reading for you to consider what God might be saying to you through his word. We invite you to take a moment to quiet yourself before we begin.

In Matthew 6, Jesus shows us a model of prayer that is anti-performance. He begins the chapter by discouraging long, showy public prayers designed to draw attention to the one praying, and encourages us to encounter God in the quiet place. That sort of humble, anti-performative approach is highlighted by the line, lead us not into temptation.

It's an acknowledgment before the Father that we are weak, frail, and in need of help, and we need the strength that comes from outside of us. If we are going to manage testing and trial, we need God's help. The Father, of course, is eager to give us this help, and it is a precious gift that he invites us to ask for it.

Let's read the Lord's Prayer, including this line about leading us not into temptation. As we do, consider tests that you are facing where you need God's help. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Jesus knows what it is like to be tested. He was tested by Satan in the desert, and he faced severe testing in the Garden of Gethsemane. Hebrews 4, verses 14-16 teaches us, As we read through the prayer a second time, once again consider the tests that you are facing.

Consider the truth that the God of the universe knows what it's like to be tested and tempted. And consider his invitation that you can with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, and there you will find mercy and grace in your need. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Heavenly Father, we thank you that your power is made perfect in our weakness, as your word says. We thank you in moments of testing and temptation that we can turn to you for strength, for grace, and for mercy. We do pray that you would lead us not into testing, but that rather you would spare us that which is unbearable, that which we cannot manage, and that you would give us the strength for that which you do lead us into.

We thank you that we are not left to rely on our own strength or our own willpower to resist temptation, but rather in those moments we can turn to you and find the strength, the grace, and the mercy that we need. We love you. We pray these things in Jesus' name.

Amen.