What Does the Bible Say About Prayer?

Ask God to Guide You in the Right Way

Next, the prayer tells us in Matthew 6:13 to pray that God will lead our steps in paths of righteousness: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Many people mistakenly believe that God can lead us INTO temptation, so we need to pray that He won’t. While God may allow us to be in areas where we may be exposed to temptations because we live in this world (John 8:23; 1 John 2:15-16; 1 Corinthians 5:9-10) He never will tempt us with evil, we learn of this in James 1:12-16:

(James 1:12-16 KJV) “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (13) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (16) Do not err, my beloved brethren.”

We see from this passage that God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt anyone. Instead, we are tempted by our own lusts, which conceive sin. Sin then brings forth death. For the nonbeliever, death in Hell. For the believer, death of our testimony, our walk with God, our relationships with others, etc.

When considering Matthew 6:13 in our prayers, it is not to ask God not to tempt us, it is to ask God to help us overcome our own sinful lusts and desires, which lead us into evil or sin. This is echoed in Psalms 119:11 and Psalms 119:105 as follows:

(Psalms 119:11 KJV) “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

(Psalms 119:105 KJV) “NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

We hide God’s Word in our heart so that our hearts to not produce evil thoughts and behaviors (Psalms 119:133; Matthew 12:34-35). We use God’s Word as a guide for our life like a lantern on a dark trail. In doing so, we reap the blessings of God and living for Him becomes a delight (Psalms 37:27). Praying that God would lead us not into temptation is simply asking God to keep us away from going down the path of temptation leading to sin and then to evil.

Matthew 6: 22-24 brings this to mind when it refers to where our focus is in life. Either we focus on things that bring the light of God into our lives or the things that bring the darkness of evil into our lives.

(Matthew 6:22-24 KJV) “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. (23) But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! (24) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

The Bible says that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). When our eyes are focused on things of the Lord our life (body) is full of light (God). When our eyes are focused on things of self, lust of the eyes, flesh, and pride, our life (body) is full of darkness (lust, temptation, and evil). We cannot serve both, we must choose the light of God and in doing so we will live lives reflecting God’s light as we serve Him.

Our prayer then closes with another acknowledgment of God’s kingdom with specific reference to His power and His glory. As mentioned earlier, God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Likewise, our prayer from beginning to end should recognize God’s power and glory.