10 Contemplative Days in the Lord's PrayerShembull

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, as we also have forgiven those who sin against us. Help us not to give into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen

After praying for forgiveness over self and others for that which has already happened, Jesus now put you on the offensive to pray against the wrong that could or would happen to happen. Sometimes it’s temptation in that you’re drawn to your own self-destructive inclinations. Other times, it’s evil in that the enemy very much is deceiving us with “better” alternatives to an already good plan from a good God who gave it.

Notice what temptation is for you right now. More than things like anger, impatience, lust, and envy which are the actual sins, notice the conditions that make you most tempted in these directions. For example, what control issues are consistent with your most angry moments? What busyness most primes you for impatience? What is broken in your intimacy before lust becomes a full-throttle alternative? What’s aching about your identity before you drown yourself in envy for what others have? To prayerfully address what’s tempting you right now, it’s going to require room for praying about who you really are right now, and what holes you’re trying to fill.

Also notice what “evil” is around you right now. What threats are real, perceived, or possible? Let Jesus give you a prayer in response to that as well.

Don’t close your prayers today without power and confidence. For all that’s against you, you still need to say like Paul, “The Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1.7).”