Trials are a certainty in every life, no matter how rich or connected or evolved one might be. The great philosopher Job once said, “Man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.” Man, was Professor Job on point.
But although we can’t eliminate trials from our lives we certainly can shorten them, and endure them with a sense of clarity and assurance about their origins and purpose. By following a short and simple instruction from the greatest trial overcomer in the history of the planet, we can do just that.
Jesus said that we should always pray, and whenever we do, that we should make sure we include this clause: God, don’t lead me into a trial today, but deliver me from the evil one. That’s it. Short. Sweet. Simple.
Here’s how it works. If I pray don’t lead me into a trial today then I am released, if I fall into one, to “count it all joy” because I know it’s not from God, it’s from the enemy, and thus I know how to proceed: don’t accept it, but resist it, endure it, and overcome it with God’s help. Praying this way gives me certitude and confidence about how to handle the trials I face in this life.
The hardest part of facing trials is not knowing if it’s God testing us or Satan tempting us. This doubt (a literal tossing back and forth of two different ideas) is what delays us from immediately attacking the trial with all of our resources. This prayer eliminates that time consuming doubt! Which in turn eliminates indecisiveness (that great elongater of time), which in turn eliminates failure (the child of inaction).
Show me a New Testament scripture which teaches that God tests His people. It doesn’t exist. God’s Old Testament “test” of Abraham was unique, to establish a lineage of faith. Since then Jesus has passed all the tests for us, so God doesn’t need to test us. He knows what’s inside of us already.
God has a solution for, and a way out of, every trial that you will ever face. So, victory is assured. It’s really up to you just how long it will take for you to realize that victory. Praying the way Jesus taught his disciples to pray will put you on the fast track to overcoming.
