Short articles of the, "Yes Jesus" Book on prayer. # 102

 

Repeat after Jesus

“Our Father who art in Heaven.”

 

When the words “our Father in Heaven” begin to sound like the lifeless, vain repetition of religiosity, it is time to remember that these words are the only weapons to fight the greatest temptation.

 

What is the greatest temptation? To doubt the paternity of God over us. Remember that temptation does not come to a fallen man. He is in a fallen state and cannot move in any other direction but down where he is already.

 

Temptation comes to one who is walking the higher road with God and in the will of God. Our leader and Lord; Jesus who has been certified by God as Son in his baptism and was confirmed by the voice of God himself, “This is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased” was led by the spirit to be tempted.

 

After 40 days of fasting, prayer and meditation in the very Word of God the Father, whose voice he heard at his baptism, he was hungry. This hunger was normal, natural, just and necessary. The tempter, however, used this valid and real need to attempt to bring doubt into what he knew to be true.

 

“If you are the Son of God…why do you live in need? Where is the Father of yours who is so well pleased with you and loves you? He is either not your Father or he really does not love you.”

 

Jesus, knowing temptation by experience, masterfully teaches us to win over temptation with the words “Our Father who art in Heaven.” Knowing what we are will teach us not to listen

 

This is the teaching elder on duty in matters of Prayer.

Gerry Gutierrez.