Recently, I preached a sermon on the final thoughts of the Lord’s Prayer. In Luke 11, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray with these words:
“Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.” – Luke 11:2–4 (NIV)
Of all the ideas I studied and reflected on, there’s one that seems to come up again and again in conversations with people: temptation. It’s the reality we live with. No matter your age or stage in your faith journey, temptation is never far away.
Here are a few thoughts from that message that I believe are worth sitting with as we learn to pray, “Lead us not into temptation.”
When You Don’t Know Exactly Where You’re Going…
…it’s at least helpful to know where you don’t want to go.
This part of the Lord’s Prayer is not accusing God of leading us into temptation. That would go against his character. Instead, this is a humble, honest request: “God, lead me away from it.” It’s a prayer for guidance, for spiritual clarity, and for strength to walk in the right direction.
And when you look at the prayer as a whole, this request is simply the other side of the coin of “Your will be done.” If we want to follow God’s will, we’re also asking to avoid the detours that sin and temptation throw our way.
Your Purpose and Your Pitfall
A question I hear all the time is, “What is my purpose?” And it’s a good question. But part of discovering our purpose is also recognizing the things that could derail it.
What would be my downfall?
We don’t like to talk about that part. But it matters. Because temptation often works subtly. It doesn’t always show up in the big, obvious ways. Sometimes it’s just a small compromise that slowly reshapes our character.
We often define people by what they do. I believe God sees us through the lens of who we could become. And temptation—if unchecked—can keep us from ever becoming that person.
Temptation vs. Difficulty
Now, hear me on this: don’t confuse temptation with difficulty.
This prayer isn’t a plea for an easy life. It’s not a cry to avoid discomfort. Jesus never promised comfort; he promised significance.
He didn’t die so we could coast through life—he died so we could be free, fully alive, and living for something that matters.
Jesus prayed this over his disciples in John 17:
“I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.” – John 17:15 (NLT)
That’s the heart of this prayer: not escape, but protection.
Through the Temptation
Some scholars suggest a different nuance to this line of the prayer. Rather than only “lead us not into temptation,” it can also be understood as “lead us through temptation.”
In other words: Let me not sin when I am tempted.
I came across a commentary that put it this way:
“Thou knowest, Father, how weak I am; let me not be tempted above that I am able.”
That hit me. Because the truth is, no matter how long you’ve been following Jesus, temptations still come. Pretending they don’t—or pretending you’re immune—is a setup for failure.
We don’t need to be afraid of being tempted. We just need to stay honest, stay humble, and stay close to the one who leads us through it.
A Spirit-Led Life
Life will always come with its share of challenges. And yes—temptations too.
But when you pray, “Lead me not into temptation,” you’re really asking God to help you live a life that says yes to him, and no to the things that pull you away from who you’re called to be.
A Spirit-led life isn’t about being perfect. It’s about consistently reorienting yourself toward Jesus—day by day, step by step.
So don’t lose heart. Keep praying. Keep trusting. And when the road ahead feels uncertain, just remember: you may not know exactly where you’re going, but you can know where you don’t want to end up.