Lead us Not
“Lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13). Just after we pray for forgiveness we pray for the Lord to lead us away from testing and temptation. The prayer for forgiveness deals with sin after the fact. The prayer about temptation deals with sin before the fact. There is no “forgive me” so I can sin again. It is “forgive me” and guide me away from temptation. There is no room in this prayer for presumptuous sin. We pray forgive “former sins” Lead us not, temptation, let me not do it again. Growth! “Forgive me” and “Let me not yield to that again”. Progress! Maturity! Temptations change with our level of maturity. We should not be falling for the same old things.
