Message #9 (of 20) from the PrayerPower radio series
"Praying for Protection"

by Kaye Johns

Satan is the tempter [Matt. 4:3] who came after Eve in the garden [Gen. 3:13], who came after Jesus in the desert [Matt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:13] and who comes after us all the time.

Paul was concerned about the Christians in the church at Thessalonica, writing in his first letter to them, "For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless" [1 Thes. 3:5].

To the Corinthians, he wrote the same idea, "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ" [2 Cor. 11:3].

If we are praying for ourselves, or for others, to be able to resist temptation, God’s Word gives us specific things to ask. What does Paul say we need? -- faith and sincere, pure devotion to Christ. That, then, becomes our prayer for protection from temptation, that our Father will build our faith in Christ, our trust in Him. That He will help us believe that Christ truly lives in us through His Holy Spirit, so that we know we can resist Satan’s temptations -- not in our own strength, but in His. That He will help us live the abiding life.

We ask our Father to cultivate in us sincere and pure devotion to Christ, to balance the busy Martha side of our lives with the adoring Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet [Luke 10:38-42]. Our protection from the tempter is our faith in Christ.

Pray with me now -- Father, this is our prayer that we will live with faith and with sincere and pure devotion to Christ, in Whose name we pray, amen.

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