It’s interesting that this phrase of the Lord’s Prayer sits next to and comes immediately after asking for forgiveness.
The Lord’s Prayer, given by Jesus to his disciples (Matthew 6: 9-13), I think, recognises their and our humanity. We receive forgiveness, but as sure as “eggs is eggs”, we will sin again.
Temptation is a fact of life. Jesus faced temptation, and resisted.
Temptation is out there, we cannot stop it, but we can attempt to resist it.
We will slip up, and the second part of this phrase recognises this, and again asks for forgiveness and for deliverance from that wrongdoing.
Does this phrase infer that God might lead us into temptation, to lure us or seduce us into doing wrong? No! God might test us, but he never tempts us. God does not want us to do wrong.
In today’s blame society it’s always someone else’s fault, we make excuses. “I couldn’t help it,” “everybody’s doing it,” “it was just a mistake,” “I was just following orders,” “nobody’s perfect”.
As we pray this prayer, we are acknowledging that temptation is put there, we are asking for the strength to resist it, but most importantly we are not making excuses, we are taking the responsibility for our own actions, confessing them and asking for God’s forgiveness.
Prayer: Merciful Father, we recognise that that temptation is a fact of life and we confess that so often we give into that temptation. Help us to resist the lures of an easy life, not wanting to stand out and be different, or making excuses for our own failings and blaming others. Help us when we are faced with temptation to turn to you and not our own selfish desires, help us to keep on the path that you lay out for us, rather than turning down a pathway that leads to sin. AMEN