Matthew 6:11-15
Praying for Our Needs
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A test can be an opportunity or a trap, depending on the tester. God tests people to see if they will trust his wisdom, which leads to life. But the evil one twists God’s truth and traps people, which leads to death.
Chapter from Sermon on the Mount E24
How the Two Parts of the Last Line Work Together
The last line of the prayer is two requests that work together. First, we ask God to not lead us into a test. And the next request is implied: “If you do lead us into a test, will you deliver us from the evil one?”
The last line of Jesus’ prayer is best translated as “Don’t lead us to be tested, but deliver us from the evil one.” In the story of the Bible, a test can be an opportunity or a trap, depending on whether the one testing has our best interest in mind or not. God tests people to see if they will trust his wisdom and be his faithful partners, and his tests lead to life. But the evil one twists God’s truth and traps people, and his traps lead to death. Tests can help us mature and grow, but they’re still unpleasant. This last line of the prayer is actually two requests that work together. We start by asking, “Will you please not lead us into a test?” And then the next request is implied, “But if you do lead us into a test, will you please deliver us from the evil one?”