Jesus prayed often as he walked on earth, so often in fact, it was as natural as breathing in life-giving oxygen for his human body.  His prayers were constant, consistent dialogues with His Father, God, who was a part of Him, while on earth.  Yes, they communed as One because they were One.  Jesus, God in the flesh, came down to seek and to save the lost, (you and I), but He also demonstrated how to talk with God, as His Father in Heaven, along with how to listen to God and obey Him without question or doubt.

Jesus often would tell those around him, “I only do and say what the Father tells me.”  Oh, if that were possible with us—to ONLY do and say what God tells us.  We would avoid a lot more trouble if we listened and obeyed our Father like Jesus, right?  Jesus, who was without sin, is the One and Only who can deliver us from all evil and evil’s schemes to destroy us from the inside out.  Jesus died and rose again, defeating death, and is now our advocate in heaven as we pray to God.  Because of Jesus, we can come right into the throne room of God, in Jesus Name, and communicate with Him in relationship with Him!  THIS is amazing grace!

The Psalmist is crying out to God, “Come close, come quickly!”  It is our cry today as we journey briefly in a world that distracts and draws us to come close to evil and be consumed by it.  The Psalmist prayer is calling out for help;

“Guard my mouth…”

“Don’t let me dream of evil…”

“Don’t let me thoughtlessly fall for evil…”

“Don’t let me be lured by sweet talk…”

“May the Just One set me straight…” 

“May the Kind One correct me…”

The Just and Kind One is Jesus, although this was written centuries before Jesus came down to earth to show us how to avoid all evil.  Jesus shows us how.  By praying, asking God, Our Father in Heave to “deliver us from evil”, power beyond ourselves is given by God to destroy our enemy.  “The battle is the Lord’s’, says David.  We must remember the battle is won ultimately by our Lord.  Jesus, the One and Only, who knew no sin, died and rose again so that we could come to Father and ask what Jesus asked while on earth—”Deliver us from evil.”  Amazing.

Jesus is coming back to claim His own someday soon.  We don’t know when but we do know we need to be ready.  Our prayer is, “Yes, Lord, deliver us from all evil.  Help us to grow and mature with your holy character leading every action we take.  Show us your will and tell us what you want and we will think, say and do it.”  To be like Jesus is to talk and listen to God and then do what He says. Daily, He will deliver us from evil.  His power is unmatched with evil’s very limited power.  He wins every time.  All because of Jesus, we win.  That’s way Jesus is called “Our Deliverer”.  Yes!

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 141, The Message

^1-2 God, come close. Come quickly!
    Open your ears—it’s my voice you’re hearing!
Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising;
    my raised hands are my evening prayers.

^3-7 Post a guard at my mouth, God,
    set a watch at the door of my lips.
Don’t let me so much as dream of evil
    or thoughtlessly fall into bad company.
And these people who only do wrong—
    don’t let them lure me with their sweet talk!
May the Just One set me straight,
    may the Kind One correct me,
Don’t let sin anoint my head.
    I’m praying hard against their evil ways!
Oh, let their leaders be pushed off a high rock cliff;
    make them face the music.
Like a rock pulverized by a maul,
    let their bones be scattered at the gates of hell.

^8-10 But God, dear Lord,
    I only have eyes for you.
Since I’ve run for dear life to you,
    take good care of me.
Protect me from their evil scheming,
    from all their demonic subterfuge.
Let the wicked fall flat on their faces,
    while I walk off without a scratch.

TRUTH:  God will take care of us, protect us from evil scheming, and ultimately deliver us from evil.

Proverb 10:7-12, NCV

Good people will be remembered as a blessing, but evil people will soon be forgotten. The wise do what they are told, but a talkative fool will be ruined. The honest person will live in safety, but the dishonest will be caught. A wink may get you into trouble, and foolish talk will lead to your ruin. The words of a good person give life, like a fountain of water, but the words of the wicked contain nothing but violence. Hatred stirs up trouble, but love forgives all wrongs.

WISDOM:  Pray for wisdom to hear God and do what He says.  Love like God.

Abba, Father in Heaven,

Hallowed be Your Name.  May Your Kingdom come and reign in me and all around me!  May YOUR will be done in every detail of our lives here on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day all you know we will need to think, say and do what you want.  And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  Lead us, not into temptations, but DELIVER us from all evil and evil’s schemes to draw us away from you.  Draw us close.  Come close to us so we hear the faintest whisper of your voice in our ears.  For you have ALL power, to you be ALL glory, honor, awe and praise.  You are God and we are not.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for life eternal with you.

In Jesus Name, Amen