September 10, 2021

Matthew‬ ‭6:13‬ ‭GNBDC‬‬‬‬
“Do not bring us to hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One.’”

Today we’re focusing on the last part of the Lord’s Prayer. But I love to pray the whole prayer. It’s so simple! I can pray it every day and apply it to me and my daily life. If you don’t know this prayer, I really encourage you to memorize it, and pray it from your heart. Even our kids are learning this prayer through song and dance.

So how does this scripture apply to my mental health?

Pray this prayer every day: Lord, please save me from weird/bad thinking. Save me from watching something that will lead to bad thinking.
Keep me from hard testing or temptation. Protect me from evil.

The Greek here is a command. Now, we’re not talking about bossing God around, but rather a plea from a desperate heart—”Lord you must protect me.”

1. Pray for good thinking:

Did you know that the devil is your number one enemy? And he’ll stop at nothing to get you to think weird. So don’t be weird!! Our Heavenly Father’s motivation is to brings us into good healthy thinking, and to give us ways to escape from weird thinking. Ask God to show you what good thinking looks like and sounds like.

2. Pray for the Exit Signs:

Prepare to look for the green exit signs. God always puts an exit ahead of you.

When I was a fireman, one of the first things I was taught was to look for the exits. This was drilled into me. Today, even though I haven’t been a fireman for a very long time, I still look for ‘the green exits’ whenever I walk into a new building.

Spiritually, we need to train ourselves to look for the exits.

Another picture to illustrate the image of ‘exits’ is that of your car’s navigation. Preset the destination in your navigation (mind), and look for the exit signs on the road ahead.
Have you ever been distracted and missed the exit? Then you know that can be a costly mistake, taking an extra thirty minutes or more to get back on track.

So, to stay on track, preset your navigation (mind), so your ready before you get to your exit. ‘In 2km exit on the left.’ Then you start to get into the left lane in preparation to exit.

What tests can you expect?

The number one test is the one you always fall for. That’s the button the enemy is going to press, because historically you have fallen for it. The devil presses the same old temptation buttons, (the same old ones he usually uses). So be prepared!

Read the signs—when you see the signs, get ready to exit!

1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:13‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

Resist Pride

If you think you’re alone in the test—you’re in danger.
If you think the test is too big for you—you’re in danger.

Humanity experiences the same temptations and the same tests. While there may be some differences between men and women, the tests they face are the same:

1. 1. Low self-esteem
   2. Insecurity
   3. Anger
   4. Frustration
   5. Disappointment
   6. Lust
   7. Lies

But the scripture tells us that we are ‘Not tested more than we can handle!’ So, when you recognize the early signs here’s what you can do: pray, journal, talk with a friend, laugh with a friend(s), take a timeout (make a fresh pot of coffee/tea), exercise, enjoy daily habits, create new healthy habits, and create boundaries.

Sometimes you just need a friend to cut in on that silly thinking. Hit those bad thoughts quickly and the rest of your day will be better.

It’s not a matter of, ‘if’ that sexual temptation comes but rather, ‘when’ that sexual temptation comes. So work on your preparedness checklist: when you travel, when you go to your computer, etc.

We all have the same problem.
We need to learn to fight! With God’s help and a great community around us—we can do it!!