Thine...not mine | Deliver us from evil

Perhaps a part of prayer – and I would suggest a major part even – is that prayer has less to do with me pressing my heart desires into God’s presence and more to do with God pressing His presence into my heart desires.  Thine, not mine…right?  So we maneuver these declarations to God in a manner that He be who He most fully is to us. 

Your presence in this life I live by

giving and forgiving and leading and delivering…us.

Giving us this day, our daily bread…because He is generous.

Forgiving us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors…because He is gracious.

Leading us not into temptation…because He is all knowing and wise.

Delivering us from evil…because He is deliverer.

Evil, of course, has many facets.  We may engage the reality of evil on multiple levels.  We can imagine evil.  We can handle evil.  We can sense evil.  We can discuss evil…practically, philosophically, in short, or at length.  It is easy to get hung up on talking about evil.  But I don’t think we should.

The long respected author and theologian J.I. Packer, suggests three things on evil:

First, evil is real and we should not pretend it isn’t.  Evil really does pervades our culture.  We will never imagine away things like ISIS or pornography or abortion or feminism or _____________ (fill in the blank) or anything else tossed about by the winds of change that exalts creation above creator.  We cannot pretend folks, including ourselves, never steal or lie or abuse or needlessly desire more than we’ve been given. 

Second, evil is “an irrational and meaningless reality, making no sense, and only definable as good perverted.”  We don’t know where it comes from, or where it’s all going.  Evil crops up and manifests in absurd and unfounded manners.  The best reason we can make of the whole lot is that good has been poisoned. 

Third, God is handling it.  Because of the work of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, on the cross and through the grave, He has triumphed over evil.  And though evil lingers and loiters in this dark shadowy world, eventually He will eliminate it.

Until then, however, we pray – indeed, cry out – to our Father in heaven:  “Deliver us from evil…and all its effects!”  

In this pursuit, we have never been alone.  The biblical witness is replete with cries for deliverance.  Consider the following passages.  Really look them up and read them and jot down the gist of what they say about deliverance.  Think who, what, how, etc. 

o   Exodus 3:7-9

o   1 Samuel 7:3 & 12:10

o   1 Samuel 17:37

o   Psalm 7:1-2

o   Psalm 17:13-14a

o   Psalm 22:8 & 20

o   Psalm 25:20

o   Psalm 31:1-2

o   Psalm 59:1-2

We could go on, as perhaps you know, but you’re catching the drift.  Now, here is another set of verses.  Really look these up too.  Here is Him whom they – the guys in the above passages – and we cry out to.  Read them and jot down the gist of what they say about our Deliverer…

o   2 Samuel 22:2-4 (Or read Psalm 18)

o   Psalm 40:13-17

o   Psalm 70:5

o   Psalm 144:1-2

In our poor and neediness we cry out, “Our Father in Heaven…deliver us from evil, unto that which you call good.  Rescue us from our pursuer, unto the security and significance that is your presence.  Redeem us from this bent toward wrong, unto a deep longing for more Jesus.  Father, unfetter the shackles and loose the chains that have bound us to living without a divine compass.”

Imagine that last sentence for a minute… 

Sin’s depravity holding me bound to evil on varying levels.  I am imprisoned by a force all together other-worldly.  My strength…is…not…e…nough…ahhh!  Exhausted.  Deliver us from evil! 

And here comes my deliverer.  Riding through the heavens to help; through the skies in majesty, to thrust out the enemy before me saying, “Destory!”  (Deut. 33:26-27)  Sins shackles are loosed, chains clanking on the damp cold floor of evil’s darkened dungeon.  I emerge into an unapproachable light (1 Tim. 6:16) where Jesus dwells!

Just imagine!

And here to, remember the plural!  We pray, “Deliver US from evil.”  Who is on your mind when you pray?  Who is bound up in evil’s stronghold?  This one is HUGE for those you know who don’t know Jesus. 

I hope you’re catching the heart of this prayer our Lord has commended to us.  I hope you have noticed and experienced the breadth of what is happening.

Father…

Give us this day our daily bread.  Why? 

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  Why? 

Lead us not into temptation.  Why? 

Deliver us from evil.  Why? 

Because we are poor and needy people.  We’re steeped in debts and keep long accounts on others.  We’re lost in a maze of temptation.  We have no idea how to lead ourselves.  We’re held captive by the out-workings of evil in us and around us…like so many others! 

Remember Luke 11:5-8?  The parable of “shameless persistence”?  Remember the neighbor’s boldness or confidence that his friend will be home, that his friend has what he needs, that his friend will open the door, and that his friend will give him AS MUCH AS HE NEEDS!

Now of course God is not like the friend next door.  But the point remains:  What do we have to start with?  NOTHING.  What does our Father have to start with?  EVERYTHING.  And here is where prayer begins; here is where our heart posture must be, what we must mean at the outset of our prayer – this prayer – as well as here, at the close of our prayer.

Everything is Thine – the kingdom, the power, the glory – and nothing is mine.  He is God and I am not…and I really get that at the deepest part of who I am!  And so I pray…

Now try this:  Challenge yourself.  Make a commitment.  Be resolved.  Phrase it however you will, but be compelled to pray the prayer our Lord Jesus taught us to pray.  Pray it slowly and intentionally, like plodding through an undisturbed forest grove.  

One phrase, one line,

One step at a time.

Along the way, allowing this remembrance to direct your steps:  “Everything is Thine, and nothing is mine.”  Reflect on what these lines may most deeply mean; God the Father pressing his presence into your heart desires, giving, forgiving, leading, delivering.

Now pray…

Our Father

In heaven

Hallowed be your name

Your kingdom come

Your will be done

On earth

As it is in heaven

Give us

This day

Our daily bread

Forgive us

Our debts

As we also

Have forgiven

Our debtors

And lead us

Not into temptation

But deliver us

From evil

For everything is thine

– the kingdom, the power, the glory

And nothing is mine

Amen.