Saturday, 24 June 2023
OVERCOMING TEMPTATION THROUGH PRAYER
And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation (Luke 22:40-42).
No one exemplified the power of prayer in overcoming temptation better than our Lord Jesus. Hebrews 5:7 gives us an idea why He prayed to the Father the way He did in our theme scripture: He (Jesus) "...shrank from the horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father" (AMPC).
That separation from the Father was what He never wanted to experience even for a moment. As a result, He knelt and prayed, and as He did, something remarkable happened: "...there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him" (Luke 22:43). The 44th verse says, ''And being in an agony he (Jesus) prayed more earnestly."
Remember, the earnest prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its working (James 5:16). Jesus, being in agony, prayed more earnestly. His prayer was so intense that the Bible says "... His sweat became like great clots of blood dropping down upon the ground" (Luke 22:44 AMPC).
Thanks be unto God; His prayer was answered. He submitted Himself to the will of the Father by becoming sin for us so we would become the righteousness of God in Him. Hallelujah!
When He was done praying, He said something instructive to His disciples as seen in Luke 22:45-46: "When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation" (NIV). The problem isn't being tempted, but falling into the temptation. Jesus here shows us we must pray to avoid falling into temptation.
Remember, He was about to experience the horror of being separated from the Father, and had to wrestle with the temptation to say, "No, I'm not doing this!" He knew He had to pray, because He had Himself taught that "... Men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1).
Like the Master, give yourself to prayer. In the place of prayer, your spirit is conditioned to discern and walk in God's perfect will, and your faith is strengthened to overcome temptations and rule over circumstances. You're invigorated with the might of the Spirit to live victoriously every day. Hallelujah!
PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for the privilege and blessing of prayer, a place where my spirit is conditioned to discern and walk in your perfect will always, and my faith is strengthened to overcome temptations and rule over circumstances. I'm fully equipped and fortified, strong in the Lord and in the power of His might to triumph gloriously today, and always. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 5:5-7 AMPC; Matthew 26:41
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Acts 11:1-18 & Ezra 9-10
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 3:23-38 & Deuteronomy 22