deliver us from evil

Matt 6:9-13
A few weeks ago, during Wednesday night prayer meeting/Bible study, we were going through this passage. While commonly called The Lord's Prayer, it is more correctly to be considered the Disciple's Prayer, because it is the answer to their question "teach us to pray". It is an outline of instruction, a framework on which to build our prayer life.

One particular part still rings in my heart..."But deliver us from evil." The thought and intent behind this is that we be delivered from the potential evil that comes with the temptations from the evil one, satan.  In every trial, there is the potential for failure, or victory, depending on our response during the trial. 1Cor. 10:13 reminds us that there is 'a way of escape', if we will take it.

The prayer for Deliverance is wondrously revealed in the understanding of said word, 'deliverance'. It carries the meaning of 'to rush to draw us to Himself, in order to rescue'. It is one thing to understand that God would keep us from temptation's snare, but that should we be so caught, He rushes to our aid, drawing us to Himself to rescue us from the evil one!

I am reminded of the response of the father in the account of the return of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-24). In verse Luke 15:20, we read...
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. KJV

 When the son repented and turned back toward the father, he came running to his son, the father drew him to himself, effectively rescued him from the temptations/trials he sought to leave behind. I think also of Jesus' telling Peter that even though satan desired to 'sift you as wheat...I have prayed for you." Think on it, the Savior intercedes for us when we are tempted, rushing to draw us to Himself in order to rescue us!

William O. Cushing wrote the text, Ira D. Sankey gave us the music to "Hiding In Thee", a good song to have on your mind today.